Single Parent's Club
by skittlesmomma27
Summary: Being a single parent isn't ideal but these two are making the best of their situations but they are both missing that special someone to spend their days and nights with. Throw in some nosy and pushy 'sisters' and things just might get interesting. Edward and Bella all the way, as always.
1. Chapter 1

_So...this little gem was in my old computer files. I had started writing it as a way to get my creative juices flowing for Journey to Find the One and it eventually took on a life of it's own. Now, it is time for me to share this little story with you guys...please let me know what you think of it. I will probably post one chapter of this story and one of Journey a week._

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 **Chapter 1 (Bella)**

 **Life as a single mother**

 **November 2011**

"Night guys!" I called out as I head out of the hospital after a fairly easy night at work.

Several of the nurses waved at me as I headed for the elevator. "Night, Bella. Have a great few days off!" Angela called out as she stuck her head around the edge of the medicine closet.

I laughed at her because she knew that my days off were always hectic. "Have a good, Ang. See you and Ben tomorrow." I called out to her as the elevator doors slid open.

"Yep." She called back in confirmation as the doors slid shut separating us.

Despite the fact that it was just a week before Halloween it was almost eighty degrees when I stepped through the doors of the hospital I had worked at for the past six years. I graduated with my nursing degree from LSU six years ago and immediately found a job at New Orleans Children's Hospital, which had been my dream since I entered college. While most people in my nursing program was happy to just graduate with their nursing degree, I wasn't. I went on to take an exam to specialize in pediatrics and aced it. That allowed me to apply for my dream job and get offered an internship where I eventually got hired full-time as a pediatric nurse upon completion of the six month internship.

My phone began ringing before I even made it to my car. "Hey sweetheart, I'll be home in ten minutes." I said in lieu of the normal 'hello' greeting because I knew that it was my oldest niece checking in on me and letting me know that she was up for school. This was the routine when I did my turn at pulling the night shift.

"Okay, Aunt Bella. Love you." She said before hanging up without another word. I stuffed my phone back in the pocket of my scrub top pulling out my keys instead. I pressed the button and smiled at hearing the beep of my Subaru that I had been forced to buy this past January when I took in my brother's three children. Prior to taking in my three nieces I drove the same old rusty truck that I had bought my first year of college.

I hadn't batted an eye when my brother asked me to foster his three children over the phone at two o'clock in the morning from a police station in Georgia just a mere four days into the New Year. As soon as I got off the phone with him I broke down in tears but sucked it up so that I could call in to work to take a few weeks off to make my brother's plea a reality. By eight o'clock the next morning I was well on my way to being a certified foster parent, proud renter of a four bedroom home, and owner of a brand new shiny red Subaru Outback. Six days after that initial phone call I drove back to New Orleans with three very cranky little girls in the back seat. Molly was eleven years old, Mia was four, and Maci wasn't quite three months old at the time. My brother had been pulled over for speeding and was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, child endangerment, and child abuse along with his wife. The girls were put into a temporary foster home until I was certified to take them. Jake and Vanessa, were both sentenced to 15 years in prison because of the amount of drugs found in the car along with the condition of the children. I only agreed to take in the girls if they signed their rights away and let me adopt them legally right away. Neither one of them batted an eye when I presented them with the deal and both agreed; signing the papers four days after their arrest. The adoption was finalized two months after they first came to live with me and we had all settled into a new routine that worked for us.

It took me less than ten minutes to pull into the driveway of the home I had moved into after the phone call that changed my entire world. "Molly! Mia!" I called out as I unlocked the front door. "Alice!" It wasn't my dream home but it was working for the time being. I had been house hunting on my days off for the past few months but so far nothing had sparked my interest enough to put an offer on one.

"In here!" I heard Alice call out from the direction of the kitchen. Alice was my best friend, my partner in crime, and my savior. She and I had been roommates the entire time we both attended LSU. Prior to the phone call we had been sharing the same apartment since we were college freshmen. When I had told her about taking in the girls and needing to find something suitable for them she said to be sure and find something big enough to fit her to because she was going with me. While I brought the girls with me into the house she brought her boyfriend, Jasper, of the past two years.

It all worked out for the three of us in the long run because the house came with a large workshop in the backyard that Jasper used for his furniture making business. Alice also owned her own event planning business so between the three of us someone was home with the girls at all times which saved me from putting them into daycare or hiring a live in nanny.

I smiled at the sight that greeted me once I entered the kitchen. Sitting at the small round kitchen table that was situated in the bay windows at the far end of the kitchen were my three girls. Molly was sporting wet hair letting me know that she had indeed taken her shower this morning like she had promised me she would last night when I tucked her into bed.

Mia's hair on the other hand was a rat's nest like it usually was first thing of a morning. The poor baby had the most beautiful raven ringlets I had ever saw but they matted up and tangled up something awful while she slept because she tossed and turned constantly.

Then my eyes landed on my baby. Maci had the brightest red hair I had ever saw which told me that she most likely wasn't Jake's biological baby but it was a moot point by now because legally and in my heart she was my baby. "Mama!" She cheered when she spotted me from her high chair. She was the only one of the three girls that called me that on a consistent everyday basis but it wasn't unexpected since she had been just a baby when I had taken them all in a little over nine months ago.

"Good morning my girls." I said kissing each of them on the top of the head as they ate their breakfast. I pulled Maci from her high chair getting my morning cuddles in while I could. Once she was fully awake she would be fighting to be put down so she could test out her new skill. Walking. She had just started walking last week and it seemed like she hadn't stopped once she got it figured out. "Morning, Ali." I told Alice as I leaned against the counter beside where she stood eating her own bowl of cereal.

She just nodded at me steadily shoving a spoonful of cocoa pebbles into her mouth. "Please tell me that you didn't give Molly and Mia that?" I asked pointing at her bowl full of sugary goodness that I only allowed the girls to indulge in on occasion.

She rolled her eyes and pointed to the box of Lucky Charms that sat on the table between the girls. I groaned burying my head into Maci's shoulder. "That's not much better, Mary Alice." I told her as I peppered kisses all over Maci's cherubic face. "Are we all set for tomorrow?"

That caused her to put her spoon down and face me. "It is going to be the best birthday party ever!" She said excitedly bouncing lightly in place like the exuberant pixie that she was on a constant basis.

"She won't even remember it, Alice. We could have done something small, you know." I told her as I walked back over to place Maci back in her high chair so she could finish her breakfast. Alice had given her some cut up fruit, a handful of Lucky Charms without the marshmallows, a sausage link that was cut up, and a cuppie full of milk. "Where's Jasper at this morning?" I asked as I worked at snapping the tray back to the high chair.

Maci slapped her tray causing her food to bounce on it. "Eat! Mama!" She said holding out a piece of cut up honey dew melon.

I shook my head. "No, Maci eat." I told her guiding her hand back to her mouth that showed her bottom two teeth as pretty as can be.

"Yum!" She said just before shoving the piece of food in her mouth.

"He had a delivery early this morning." Alice said as she rinsed her bowl out at the sink.

"Oh." I told her as I tapped Mia on the shoulder to get her attention. When she looked at me with her bright green eyes I smiled at her before bending down to her level.

"You ready to go get your hair brushed and fixed?" I asked softly because more often than not it was a battle in the morning.

She sighed before asking. "Can you fancy braid two?"

I nodded before kissing her on the forehead. She hopped off the chair rushing to the room she shared with Maci. Mia had been born deaf but had a cochlear implant put in when she was just seven months old.

"Aunt Bella, can I invite a friend over for Maci's party tomorrow?" Molly asked as she brought her bowl to the sink rinsing it out before placing it in the dishwasher.

"I don't care, sweetheart. Who are you thinking of inviting?" I asked as I ran my fingers through her jet black hair that was just like Jake's.

"Sydney." She said softly.

"That's fine, Molly. I will call her mom this afternoon and let her know the plans. You talk to Sydney at school, okay?"

"Okay!" She said as she bounced out of the kitchen to finish getting ready for school.

I sighed as I sunk into the chair she had just vacated. "Tired?" Alice asked as she grabbed the box of cereal to put it away.

Laying my head on my folded arms on the top of the table I nodded at her. "Yes. I'm so glad I have the next three days off before going back to the day shift." I told her as I watched her grab her phone off the counter, joining me at the kitchen table. "What do you have planned for the day?"

"Miss Maci and I are going shopping this morning for her party tomorrow while you take a nap after dropping the girls off at school." She told me, her tone not leaving any room for arguments.

I nodded obediently before pushing myself up out of the chair. "Sounds like a plan. I don't know what I would do without you." I told her as I headed for the pink bedroom. While I had been in Alabama picking up the girls and visiting Jake, Alice had gotten busy decorating the two spare bedrooms we had. The biggest draw to this house was the fact that it had two master bedrooms and bathrooms. I had given the larger of the two to Alice since she needed an office space for her business and there were two of them compared to only one of me. Upon my return to New Orleans our house had been completely repainted on the inside and unpacked along with filled with brand new furniture that was a present from my father and step-mother apparently. I guess they felt guilty for ignoring Jake's calls that morning.

"You still want two fancy braids?" I asked Mia as I picked her up to stick her feet in the bathroom sink so I could fix her hair.

She nodded picking out the two matching bows that went with her yellow and green shirt she had decided to wear today. Nobody was sure why Mia didn't say much but she had never spoken a whole lot but when she did speak she spoke clearly so we just went with it. "Okay then. You ready?" I asked picking the brush up and showing it to her in the mirror. I watched as she took a deep breath before nodding. It took me almost 20 minutes to get her hair untangled and flowing down her back in her little ringlets before spending another five minutes French braiding her hair into pig tails. Once I was finished I kissed her on the cheek before setting her on her feet so she could go get her shoes on.

"Ten minutes!" I called out to Mia and Molly as I headed back to the kitchen to get Maci from her high chair. "Damn it, Alice. I can do that." I told her irritably as I found her already wiping Maci down from her breakfast.

She just continued doing what she was doing as if I hadn't uttered a word. When she had Maci all cleaned up she handed her to me. "You can finish." She said cheekily as she left the kitchen quickly.

A rank odor told me that I had literally just gotten the 'shitty end of the deal' on this one. "Come on you stinky monster, let's get you ready for the day." I told her as I 'nibbled' on her neck causing her to squeal loudly and slap at the top of my head.

Once Maci was dressed in a cute little summer dress and sandals I passed her back to Alice on my way out of the house to take Molly and Mia to school. "Homework?" I asked before I pulled the door closed completely.

"None." Mia said simply.

"Got it." Molly said.

"Lunches?"

"Yep." Molly said.

Mia nodded.

"Shoes?"

"Yep." Molly said with a roll of her eyes.

Mia just looked at me with her head cocked and a 'have you lost your mind?' look on her face.

"Okay, let's take off then. Remember no more than a half block in front of me." I reminded them as we headed off the front porch that spanned the entire front of our house in the traditional New Orleans style.

It took less than 15 minutes to see the girls to their school and walking back in the front door. Alice's car wasn't in the driveway so I quickly headed for my bedroom and a shower.

"Happy Birthday Maci! Happy Birthday to you!" We all sang loudly as Maci looked around in awe. The entire backyard was a plethora of pink and black because her theme was Minnie Mouse. Instead of traditional birthday hats everybody was wearing Minnie Mouse ears with different color bows.

I bent down to whisper into Maci's ear. "Happy birthday my girl. You ready to eat your cupcake?" I asked pointing to the big pink and black decorated cupcake she had been trying to eat for the past ten minutes.

She looked at me with wide eyes and nodded. "Go for it." I said as I pulled the cupcake towards her on her tray. She immediately dove in with two handfuls getting the pink and black frosting everywhere.

A little bit later I sat in the lawn chair beneath the shade tree in the backyard with an exhausted Maci slumped against my chest trying to get her to go to sleep. "You have done an amazing job with them, Bella." Angela said quietly as she watched Mia run around the yard with Liam, Angela and Ben's little boy.

"Thanks, Ang. It has its challenging moments but I wouldn't change anything that brought them into my life. Vanessa sent me another letter the other day." I said almost as an afterthought.

She raised an eyebrow in my direction. "What did she want this time?" Angela asked because I have been getting at least four or five letters a month for the past four months all asking basically the same things. It all boiled down to that she was having regrets now that she was clean and sober but that wasn't my problem.

"She keeps asking if I will bring the girls to visit her in prison and let her be a part of their lives once she's released." I said placing a kiss to the top of Maci's head as I felt her finally succumb to sleep and slump against me heavily.

Angela shook her head in disbelief. "As if these girls haven't been through enough already."

"I know but she is their mother so I begin to wonder if I should at least ask Molly what she wants to do since she's the oldest."

"I don't think that would be a bad idea. Has she asked about either of her parents since coming to live here?" She asked quietly.

I shook my head. "Not a single time. Mia has asked a few times what happened to them but other than that we don't talk about them. From what I've found out they weren't the best of parents and Molly was pretty much raising Mia and Maci all on her own for who knows how long. I'm just grateful that she can be a little girl now instead of a mother figure." I said looking over to where she sat with Sydney giggling over something they were looking at on her phone.

"She is pretty remarkable. They all are." Angela said smiling at me as Liam and Mia came running over.

I quickly held my finger to my lips to warn them to not scream or talk extremely loudly. Maci could normally sleep through just about anything but I didn't want to risk her being cranky for the rest of the day. "What's up, Mia girl?" I asked when she leaned against my shoulder at the side of my chair.

"Tired." She said simply. I looked over at Angela who had pulled Liam into her lap where he rested his head against her chest tiredly.

I scooted over patting the spot beside me I had cleared for her. She quickly clambered up onto the chair leaning heavily against me as I wrapped my arm around her tired body. I readjusted Maci and patted my lap for Mia to lay her head down so she turned sideways in the chair dangling her legs over the arm and putting her head in my lap. "Love you, Mia." I whispered as I brushed her curls away from her damp forehead.

It was a gorgeous day today but she had been running and playing fairly steadily for the past hour so she was a little sweaty. The party was over by now with only Alice, myself, Angela, Ben, and Jasper still hanging around. Ben and Jasper were in Jasper's workshop doing what guys do. Alice was in the house putting away the extra food and cleaning up that was her part of the agreement we had come to for me was letting her have complete control over the party. "Love you, Mama."

Within five minutes we had three snoozing children and a good breeze going in the backyard. "Do you ever miss the single life?" Angela asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Not really. All I ever did before the girls was work and come home. Clubbing and partying and sleeping around isn't my kind of thing. It never has been." I said quietly.

"Ain't that the damn truth!" Alice said as she slumped down into another lawn chair beside me.

Angela laughed. I shrugged. "Really? You never partied in college or high school?"

I shook my head. "Trying to get that girl to go to a club is worse than planning the mid-winter debutante ball every year." Alice said with a huff. "Now give her an old book or her laptop and she's happy as a peach but show her a sparkly clubbing dress and she's the sulliest person on the planet."

I merely shrugged as I ran my fingers though Maci's curly red hair. Her hair wasn't as curly as Mia's but it wasn't flat like Molly's either. "Sue me."

"Thanks, Ali." I told her later that night as I collapsed in my chair. Alice and Jasper were cuddled on the couch each with their tablets in their hands. "It was perfect." I told her as I picked up my book from the end table. I was almost to the end of _Fifty Shades Freed_ , the third book in the Fifty shades of Grey trilogy that Alice had gotten me for my birthday six weeks ago.

She laid her tablet down on the coffee table. "Thanks, it was my pleasure. I tagged you, Charlie, and Sue in all the photos I put on Facebook."

I smiled at her as I picked up my tablet from the end table beside my chair. "Thank, I'm sure they are as amazing as her pictures the other day were." I told her pointing to the framed photo of Maci that she had taken on her actual birthday this past Wednesday. She had taken a photo of each girl on their birthdays and I had framed them to put on the mantle and would update it every year until the mantle got full.

"Oh, that was easy! She was enamored with her reflection in the mirror for over an hour." Alice said explaining the photo of Maci. The picture showed the back of her head and the front of her as a reflection in the mirror.

I laughed because I could picture her just standing in front of the mirror that hangs in the hall just pointing and 'talking' to her reflection. I scrolled through the pictures on my tablet and smiled at them. I liked the one where I was bent down kissing the top of Maci's head while she reached for her cupcake. "As I said, these are perfect, Al." I told her softly just as I heard a cry come from down the hall.

I sat my tablet back down as I got up to go see what was wrong. I walked into the nursery and spotted Maci standing up in her crib again. It had taken me almost an hour to get her to lay down earlier so apparently that was going to be a sign that it was going to be a long night. "What's wrong with you tonight, sweet baby?" I asked her softly as I reached for her outstretched hands.

She just snuggled into my neck as her cries turned to soft whimpers. I rubbed her back softly through her pajamas. I quickly felt of her diaper and noticed that she was still dry so that wasn't the problem. I laid her down in the crook of my arm so I could check her forehead for a fever. I placed my lips against her skin and she felt a little warm but nothing to be alarmed about. Next I slid my finger into her mouth feeling of her gums and found the culprit. She had another tooth coming through. She hadn't been fussy at all with the first two teeth until they were almost all the way through. "Another tooth? You are getting to be a big girl, Maci." I whispered to her as I headed for the kitchen so we didn't wake Mia up.

Once in the kitchen I opened the freezer pulling out the frozen pacifiers I kept up there when she cut her first tooth. Angela had told me about that little trick so I had kept her pacifiers when she outgrew them. I hated to revert back to them but it had worked and once her gums stopped hurting she didn't want it anymore so it turned out that I had initially stressed about nothing. I popped the frozen pacifier into Maci's mouth and she immediately shifted it to the side and began gnawing on it. I headed for the living room again since she likely wasn't gonna go back to sleep in her crib tonight.

"Teething?" Alice asked as I passed by her and Jasper as they headed for their bedroom.

I nodded as I turned down the lights in the living room since it was just going to be the two of us. I laid down on the now empty couch with her stretched out on top of me. I felt the heavy weight of her full body within minutes as she let slumber take her away again. Instead of going to bed I just wrapped my arms around her and let myself doze off while she slept as well.

"Aunt Bella." Molly whispered as she shook my shoulder gently. I cracked open an eye and saw her standing before me with tired eyes.

I licked my lips as I fluttered my eyes fully open. "Yeah?" I asked her quietly so as to not wake a sleeping Maci who was still on my chest.

"Can I watch cartoons?" She asked quietly.

I sighed, she was such a sweet child. "Of course you can. Why don't you go curl up in my bed and watch them there? I'm gonna stay right here."

She nodded before kissing me on the forehead and scampering away down the hall. I wrapped my arms back around Maci as I shifted slightly on the couch that I had spent the night on. "Oh, Maci. It's going to be a long day, baby girl." I told her as I shut my eyelids one more time.

"Mama! Up!" Maci said loudly before slapping my cheeks playfully.

I shook my head and continued to play dead. I had been playing with her like this for the past few minutes. I wasn't sure what time it was but I could hear the cartoons playing from my room and talking coming from the kitchen.

I heard Maci sigh loudly. "Mama." She said softly before placing a slobbery kiss on my cheek.

I finally gave it up and opened my eyes which caused her to clap, bounce on my stomach, and laugh. "Mama up!" She said loudly.

I scooped her up as I got up off the couch. "Yes, you little monster, mama's up." I said placing kisses all over her face. "Let's go get your butt changed."

Once we were both freshened up we headed for the kitchen where I found Alice and Jasper. "Morning you two." I said as I put Maci in her high chair.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Jasper asked as he tossed a handful of cheerios onto Maci's tray.

"A little bit. I had to change the pacifiers out about six or seven times but she usually went right back to sleep." I told him as I pulled the flour out of the cabinet so I could make waffles for breakfast. "Waffles?" I asked them and both of them looked at me like I was crazy for even asking. "Okay, sorry I asked." I told them playfully as I walked to the fridge to get the eggs.

I watched on in amazement as my entire family (Yes, Alice and Jasper are family too!) devoured the breakfast I had prepared for them. Alice had been teasing me for years that I needed to open up a restaurant or bakery so that I didn't waste my talents on them. Waffles, sausage, homemade maple syrup, and fresh fruit salad was for breakfast. "Yum!" Maci said as she shoved a strawberry into her mouth.

I smiled at her over the rim of my coffee mug before taking a sip. "Thanks, Aunt Bella." Molly said as she swiped a piece of sausage through the syrup on her plate.

"Your welcome, sweetheart."

Later that afternoon while Mia and Maci were taking a nap I pulled Molly into my bedroom so I could talk to her. "What's wrong?" she asked nervously as I patted the spot on the bed beside me.

"Nothing's wrong, per se." I told her as I pulled the envelope containing her mother's letter from my nightstand. "I need to ask your opinion on something." I said handing the envelope to her. "Read this first and then I will explain." I told her.

I watched her face for signs of what she was feeling as she read the simple one page letter. Anger, sadness, and then anger again crossed her face clear as day. I knew what the letter said.

"She has no right." Molly said as she tossed the letter on the bed.

"She's your mom, Molly. She's off the drugs and thinking straight again, sweetheart." I told her softly.

Molly shook her head before launching herself into my arms. "She's not my mom, anymore. You are." She cried into my shoulder shocking me.

Wrapping my arms around her slender body I pulled her into my lap where she curled much like her little sisters do. "She will always be your mom, Molly. We both can be. Would you maybe want to go see her one weekend?"

"I don't know. Can I think about it?" She asked quietly.

"Absolutely." I told her as I kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. "Absolutely."

That Monday morning as I walked into Molly's room to wake her up for school is when I got my answer. "Molly, sweetheart, it's time to get up." I told her softly as I switched on her lamp before brushing the hair from her face.

She rolled over blinking her eyes open. "Good morning, Aunt Bella." She whispered groggily as she sat up in bed.

"Good morning, sweet girl. Sleep good?" I asked her as I looked at the outfit she had laid out last night for school today. She had asked if she could pick out her own clothes and I had reluctantly agreed with the agreement that I got to approve or disprove every day's outfit.

I looked over my shoulder to see her nodding her head. "Yes, ma'am. I think I want to go see her." She whispered wrapping her arms around her knees.

I turned around quickly looking at her with wide eyes. "Okay. I will fill out the visitation forms and get them sent back in. Not sure how long it will take to get approved but I will let you know." I told her with a nod.

"Thanks, Aunt Bella." She said as I walked out of the room.

"Your welcome." I told her as I headed for Mia and Maci's room.

I filled out the request forms that Vanessa had so kindly included in each and every letter she sent me with a heavy heart. "You gonna take all three of them to Georgia?" Alice asked from the front porch as I placed the thick envelope in the mail box beside the front door.

I nodded as I sat in the rocking chair beside hers. "Yeah. I figure that will make it easiest on Molly if they are with her. Offer distractions and all that stuff." I said quietly.

"That might help. Are you going to confront Nessa about Maci's paternity?"

I shook my head. "I don't think it will accomplish anything. This is the only time I'm going to take the girls up there to see either of them and that is what the whole trip will be about. Her chance to see how amazing her girls are despite the shitty job they did raising them."

"Good. What about Jake?"

"I sent off a set of visitation papers for them to also see him. I also wrote him a letter letting him know that Molly agreed to see Nessa. I'm not sure about them wanting to see him or him wanting to see them. You know that he cut off all communication when the adoption was finalized." I said shrugging my shoulders.

Alice reached over patting my hand. "You only did what was best for those girls. It's not your fault that they got messed up in the drugs and lost their way."

I nodded. "I know. How is the Halloween gala coming for the hospital?" I asked changing the subject.

She bounced in her chair as she flipped open her tablet excitedly. "Look at this!" She said and the subject was officially changed.


	2. Chapter 2

_For those of you who thought Edward was the father of Maci because of the red hair...rest easy. He's not. I would not do that to our girl, Bella._

 _The response this story has gotten has been absolutely amazing. I am sorry for the late post but I have been sick this week and my days off got changed so from this day forward I will post a new chapter every Thursday or Friday._

 _I forgot in the last chapter to say that I don't own these characters, SM does. I just like to bend them to my will and try to make them do a little work for me every once in a while._

 _Without further ado, let's meet Edward._

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 **Chapter 2 (Edward)**

 **Life as a single father**

 **October 2011**

"I don't like how the master suite is on a different floor from the other bedrooms." I told Mr. Thompson, the realtor that was showing me homes in the suburbs of Knoxville.

He nodded even though I knew he was getting irritated at me but if I was going to make such a big purchase then it was going to be something that I liked and something that fit my new lifestyle. "Okay. I think I have the perfect house for you and will fit all of your wants and also cover the things you have disliked today. It is a bit above your top price range though. Want to take a peek?" He asked pulling the listing up on his tablet before handing it to me.

I looked through the pictures on the screen and liked what I saw in the pictures. "I'm not sure about all of that carpet but it would probably be a good thing to have until Noah starts walking steady." I said as I continued flipping through the pictures. "Okay, let's go take a look." I told him as I handed the tablet back to him.

"Okay, follow me." He said as he unlocked his car. "It's a little outside of town but only about ten minutes from here." He said over the hood of his car as I headed for mine.

I nodded back at him as I slid into my Volvo. I immediately called my mom. "Hello?" She said breathlessly.

"Everything okay?" I asked concerned.

She just laughed. "We're fine, Edward. Find a house yet?"

"Ugh, I never knew this would be so hard. Remind me why I can't just stay in my apartment?" I asked as I followed the realtor out of the driveway and onto the highway.

"Because you are not alone anymore, Edward. You have Noah and his needs to think about now." She said as I heard a soft cry in the background.

"Thanks, Mom. He still being fussy?"

She laughed. "No. He's just getting mad at me because I stopped singing to him to answer the phone."

I groaned. "You are spoiling him, Mom. Worse than what he already is." I was a single father to what I considered to be the best looking five month old in the state of Tennessee. His mother, my ex, had walked out on us just a few hours after he was born. Tanya and I had been dating or screwing consistently for almost six months when she threw a positive pregnancy test at me while I was working one day. I had been extremely happy about starting a family because honestly I wasn't getting any younger. Needless to say she was the complete opposite. I talked her into keeping the baby and raising it with me. Well, at least I had thought I talked her into it. The parental termination papers that had been left lying in Noah's plastic crib at the hospital told a different story.

Never had I imagined that this would be my life at thirty two years old. I had a job that I absolutely loved and made me a hefty profit throughout the years and a beautiful baby boy but I still lacked somebody to share that life with. It wasn't for lack of trying either but apparently I didn't pick the best women in the world.

"Do you want to come take a look at this house with me? Bring Noah and I will just take him with me from there?" I asked her because I wanted her opinion on the house but I also missed my baby's cuteness.

"Okay, text me the address when you get there and we will head that way." She said as I heard Noah's cries get a little louder. "Gotta run, son."

I smiled as we drove down the road of a mature and nice looking neighborhood. All of the houses looked well maintained with manicured lawns and some even had little fences around them. It was what I had envisioned when I first started looking for a house that Noah could grow up in.

My smile only got bigger as I came to a stop behind Mr. Thompson's car in front of what appeared to be a fenced in backyard. "I like what I see so far." I told him as I climbed from my car.

"Great. Let's take a walk around back before we head inside." He said heading around the corner of the house.

We were exploring all the rooms off the main hallway when my phone rang in my pocket. "That's probably my mom." I explained to Mr. Thompson as I answered the phone. "Hey, Ma. Come on in. We're at the back of the house." I told her as I back down the hall.

"This room is right next to the master bedroom which would be perfect for your little one." He said opening the door the closet to reveal a decent sized closet but Noah's clothes wouldn't even take up a third of the space.

I nodded as I walked to the windows taking in the view. "I love that you can't see any of the neighbors from here." I told as I heard my baby babbling from the hallway. "In here, Ma." I called out to her.

"Oh, Edward. This is perfect." She said as she handed me Noah who was reaching for me. I pulled him into my arms placing kisses on the top of his head as I cuddled him close.

"Hi, my boy. I've missed you today." I told him softly into his ear which caused a huge grin to spread across his face. "You want to live here with me?" I asked him as I turned him around so he could look around.

He babbled away as he slapped at the arm that was wrapped around his waist. "You ready to head into the kitchen and living spaces?" Mr. Thompson asked us. The kitchen, living room, dining room, laundry room, and such weren't as important to me as an office space I could work out of, and the bedrooms. I was an accountant and was planning to do most of my work from home until Noah started school although I had an office space downtown. Since Noah was born I only used my office for meetings and such but my secretary, Rosalie, worked in the office every day. Rosalie was my saint and savior but also my sister-in-law. She ran the office single handedly while I tackled fatherhood single handedly.

After looking at the rest of the house I knew that I had to have it even though it was a bit over the top end of my price range. My price range wasn't indicative to how much money I had in the bank or how much I could afford it was just that I didn't want to spend $450 thousand dollars on a house. Me being tight with my money is how I got to where I am today. Although my mother was an event planner for the richy rich of the South and my father was an orthopedic surgeon I went to college on student loans that I paid off myself through hard work and dedication. "I'll take the house." I told Mr. Thompson as I sat Noah on the granite countertop of the island in the kitchen.

"Don't you want to know how much it is first?"

I shook my head. "I doesn't matter. I want it. It's perfect for me and Noah. What's market value for this house?"

We spent the next hours going over the comps in the area and what market value was for the house before settling on a price that was almost 12 grand below the asking price. Once I signed the formal offer paperwork I grabbed Noah and his stuff before heading back to the apartment that had been home since just a few months after I graduated college nine years ago. My parents allowed me access to my trust fund early to purchase the place because it was such a great price and investment.

"Home sweet home, buddy." I told Noah as I slipped him into his walker so I could get dinner going. I was the master at all things simple and quick. Spaghetti was on the menu for me tonight. I grabbed the radio remote turning it on low while I threw dinner together while Noah scooted himself around on the hardwood floors.

A few hours later I was sitting at my desk working on the quarterly reports for a local company while Noah dozed against my chest with a bottle in his mouth. It never failed that after a bath he was ready for bed but still refused to just be laid down in his crib while still awake. I didn't mind though because it allowed me a little daddy and me time that I relished in because everybody kept telling me that he would outgrow it eventually. I placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head as I perused the line of numbers on the page in front of me. "I love you, Noah Anthony." I whispered to him quietly.

Once I felt Noah's body grow heavy against my chest I laid the summary pages down on my desk to finish going over in the morning. "Come on, buddy, let's get to bed." I told him as I raised us slowly out of my desk chair. I headed down the short hallway that led to the master bedroom where we both slept. My mom and I had had a standoff when I brought Noah home about the use of the spare bedroom. Mom had wanted to go all out for a nursery while I demanded that if I was going to work from home until Noah was older then I needed an office. In the end I had put Noah's crib, changing table, and dresser in the corner of my bedroom while the spare bedroom had been turned into my office. I laid Noah down into his crib pulling his light blanket over him and turning on his mobile to drown out the noises of my getting ready for bed.

I walked into the bathroom to take a shower to wash away the grime of the day. I placed my hands against the tile wall of the shower as I dropped my head allowing the water to run over my head and neck. I groaned at the sight of my hardened erection begging for attention. "Sorry, dude, it's just you and me tonight." I told him as I grabbed the body wash squirting some on the sponge that I used. Once my body lathered I trailed my hand down to my begging erection. "Again." I muttered as I wrapped my hand around myself.

Before Tanya and I had started seeing each other consistently I never lacked the company of willing females. That was another thing that my mother had let me know that she didn't approve of before Noah came along. It had changed drastically since I had found out about Noah. Tanya hadn't allowed me to so much as look at her much less touch her during her pregnancy and I hadn't been with a woman since Noah was born. That meant that it has been over a year since I had felt the closeness of a woman, the kiss of a woman, and the touch of a woman.

"Wow, we need to get laid. Quick." I mumbled to my now flaccid cock as I washed my head before climbing out of the shower.

I donned my pajama bottoms before peeking at Noah over the edge of his crib and smiled at the sight of him. He had already rolled over onto his belly and clutched his blanket in his fist. I pulled the other blanket up over him so that he wouldn't get chilled before running a hand softly over his head before crawling into my bed. I had had a California king before I had to give up floor space for Noah's things in my bedroom. Now I had a simple queen size bed but that was fine because it's not like I was sharing it with anybody.

I stood up from my desk to walk my client out of the office. "Thanks for coming in Mr. Hart. I look forward to doing business with you." I told him as I stuck my hand out for him to shake. He was a new client that owned a small chain of art galleries in the area.

"Absolutely, Edward. It's George, by the way." He said as he shook my hand before leaving.

Rose cleared her throat from behind her desk. "Hey, don't forget we're doing the whole Halloween festival out at the ranch this weekend."

I groaned but nodded. "I know, Em still need help setting up the hay bale maze?" I asked because it never failed that while they owned and operated a horse rescue farm that when it came to the extracurricular physical work I was volunteered to help. Emmett operated the upkeep of the farm that Rose had inherited when her dad passed away a few years ago. The Halloween festival was a tradition that her grandparents had started when her dad was a little kid and was a huge hit with the locals. There would be a huge maze that was made out of hay bales, a pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving contest, face painting, bouncy houses, spooky trail ride, and a puppet show with hot chocolate at the end of the night.

"Of course, Edward. Have you bought Noah a costume yet?" She asked as she looked at something on the computer screen.

"No, I was gonna go pick something out this week. It's not like he's going to even remember any of the holidays this year or the next few years." I said shaking my head.

She looked at me with shock on her face. "You really don't have it yet?"

I shook my head. "No. What's the big deal?"

"Memories, Edward, memories. Not Noah's but yours and everybody else's. Don't take the memories for granted, Edward. Trust me." She said with a sad smile.

The reason that Rosalie worked for me here at the office instead of working the ranch with Emmett was because she needed a distraction and this provided that. She and Emmett had lost their three year old daughter, Katie, to an inoperable brain tumor just last year. It was still hard for the entire family but especially so for Rosalie because she had to have an emergency hysterectomy after Katie's birth. "Okay, do I have any more appointments for today?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I will stay until five to man the phones but you are free to go. Give that baby some hugs and kisses from his Auntie Rose, will you?"

I nodded. "Absolutely. I will go right now to pick out his costume before going to pick him up from Tori's."

"Okay, see you later. Love you."

"Love you too, Rosie." I told her as I grabbed my briefcase and headed out of the office that I used to spend my entire days and most evenings in but now only set foot into once or twice a week. I headed to the local costume shop to pick out Noah's very first Halloween costume. In the end I had an adorable little frog costume that would keep him warm when it turned cool and would please all the women in my family.

I pulled alongside the bright and colorful building that housed the small daycare that I occasionally sent Noah to when I had meetings at the office and my mom was busy. It allowed him a chance to socialize with adults outside of the family and to also play with other kids because he was the only one in our entire family since Katie's passing. I quickly hopped out of the car heading up the path of different colored stepping stones to the front door so that I could grab my bundle of joy.

"Hey Edward, Noah's still sleeping." Victoria said as she sat on the floor with a group of kids playing with Styrofoam letters.

I nodded. "Great, thanks Tori." I told her as I headed for the crib area. I found my chubby little thing curled up on his side with his blanket held tightly in his clenched fists. I rubbed a hand down his body from the top of his head to the bottom of his sock clad feet. "Noah…" I sang softly as I repeated the rub over and over trying to wake him up gently.

He rolled over onto his back but didn't open his eyes yet. I tickled my fingers against his stomach and that caused him to clench up, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Noah…Daddy's here." I sang softly as I stroked a finger down his chubby little cheek and that finally got him to blink open his bright blue eyes that he got from his mother. "Hi." I told him quietly.

He stuck his bottom lip out while holding his arms up to me indicating he wanted to be picked up and wasn't happy about being disturbed from his nap. "Come here." I told him as I picked him up heading for the rocking chair tucked away in the corner between the cribs and the changing tables.

I cuddled him into my chest as I settled into the rocker with his neck tucked between my shoulder and neck. "Here, Edward." Beth, one of Tori's workers, said handing me one of Noah's bottles that I had prepared this morning before dropping him off.

"Thanks Beth." I told her as I held the bottle up for Noah to see. He grabbed it from me popping it into his mouth greedily. I chuckled at him as I set us into a gentle rocking motion.

Once Noah finished his bottle I changed his butt before loading him into his carrier and heading for the realtor's office to sign the paperwork to formalize the contract on the house. I was hoping to go for a quick two week escrow since I was paying in cash. I just wanted to be able to move into the house as quick as I could so I could get my place on the market and so Noah could have his own space.

"Please cooperate in here, buddy. Daddy's trying to buy us a house to live in for many years to come." I begged Noah as I unbuckled him from his car seat.

Noah did indeed cooperate while I sat in the conference room twiddling my thumbs. Something was up and I didn't know what so it was making me extremely nervous. We were ushered into the conference room by the secretary while Mr. Thompson was on the phone with another client. "Noah somethings wrong, buddy. I can feel it." I whispered to Noah as I sat him on the table in front of me.

Just then Mr. Thompson walked through the door with a somber expression on his face. "Edward, I have some bad news…"

The next several days were spent looking for other houses since the original owners decided to back out of the deal but then it was time to take a break so we could celebrate Halloween. "Time to go let Auntie Rose and Nanna fawn over you for a little bit." I told Noah as I fastened his buckles for the thirty minute drive out to Rose and Emmett's. Noah whined a bit because it was time for his morning nap but I had to get going so I could help Emmett set up the maze. I tossed the suitcase I had packed for us along with Noah's pack and play into the trunk because we would be spending the night with Emmett and Rose because it was tradition for us and it made setting up the maze easier since we could get started at sunup in the morning.

By the time I pulled out of the parking garage Noah was crying in earnest. "Hey, hey, hey, buddy." I called back to him. "It's gonna be okay, we're gonna be there soon and your Nanna will fawn all over you." I told him just trying to get him calmed down enough to get him to give into his slumber that he was fighting. I kept up a running dialogue the entire drive to the farm which was fine by me. Noah was at that age that he didn't care what I was saying as long as he could hear my voice. That was the biggest downfall to being a single parent, I was who he depended on day in and day out so he was firmly attached to me and didn't like to be far from me.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I pulled to a stop at the end of Em and Rose's driveway. "We're here, Noah." I told him which earned me some whiny gurgles in response. "Okay, we're about to go take a nap. Daddy could use one too." I told him as I turned the car off.

Two hours later I was woke up to whispered voices and a distinct clicking sound that I was well familiar with. "If you wake him up with your clicking and whispering I will not lift a single bale of hay." I told them without opening my eyes. Noah was sprawled across my chest as I lay on the bed in the guest bedroom. I was bare chested and he was in nothing but a diaper and socks which was rare because I usually was scared he was going to get chilled so he always had pj's on.

"Sorry, son. I just couldn't pass up the photo opportunity." I heard my mom whisper just before the click of the door being shut again sounded quietly in the room.

I dozed back off in the quiet of the room until Noah started squirming on my chest as he woke up. I rolled my head over to check the time and noticed the baby monitor lit up on the night stand. "Mom." I said simply knowing that she would be there in just a few minutes. I rolled over onto my side laying Noah on the bed beside me. He whimpered a bit with his fists clenching and unclenching before he found the chain around my neck gripping it tightly in his fist. He had done this simple act since he was a newborn and I secretly loved it. I leaned down to place a kiss on the top of his head then his clenched fist to let him know that I was awake too. He blinked sleepy eyes up at me just as the door clicked open. "Guess who's here?" I whispered to Noah as I watched my mom walk around the bed to slide onto it on the other side of Noah.

Noah's head rolled backwards to see what the motion was and I chuckled as I watched his eyes go wide at the sight of my mom. This is when my regrets started sinking in. It was obvious that my boy relished attention from my mom and it made me hate that his mother left him without so much as holding him even once. My mom handed Noah his bottle and I couldn't' stop the shit eating grin on my face as he cuddled back into my bare chest with my necklace still clenched in his fist. "Stop with the worry and regrets, Edward. He's happy and healthy." My mom whispered softly as she stroked Noah's unruly locks before running her fingers through mine.

"How did you know?" I asked her as I propped Noah up a bit so he wouldn't choke on his milk.

She rolled her eyes at me, something she used to pop my ears for when I was a teenager. "You are my son and you had that look in your eyes. You always get it when you see Noah with me or Rose. It's unnecessary. That baby boy loves you more than anything in this world."

I smiled at her before kissing Noah on the head. He had just turned six months old yesterday and was getting way too big way too quickly for my liking. "Hey buddy, you wanna go to Nanna now?" I asked him quietly.

He just looked at me as he continued sucking greedily on the nearly empty bottle. There was nothing wrong with my boy's appetite, that's for sure. He scrunched his eyebrows in irritation as I tried to scoot him away from me and into my mom's arms. My mom stopped me with a hand on my arm. "It's okay, Edward. He just woke up. Why don't you let him finish his bottle then bring him out to me, huh?"

I nodded as I snuggled with my baby while he finished his bottle. "I love you, you know that?" I whispered into his hair.

When he was finished with his bottle he was all laughs, giggles, and babbles on the bed while I pulled on an old pair of jeans and t-shirt. I changed his diaper before scooping him up to take him out to my mom and Rose. "All fresh for Nanna, huh?" I said tickling his side as we walked into the living room.

"There's my little man!" My mom called out as she jumped up off the couch heading towards me. Noah immediately reached for her nearly causing me to drop him.

"He's wide awake, now." I told her with a laugh as I handed him off to her before kissing her cheek.

I kissed Rose on the cheek also as I passed her on my way out of the house to go help the guys set up for the festival that would start tomorrow at noon.

"How many hay bales did you use this year, Em?" I asked him as I hefted a large square bale up on top of the other two.

He groaned as he tossed his own up there beside mine. "Over three thousand between the big and the little bales." He said as he situated the bale so that the wall would be steady.

"Christ, Em! That's nearly double from last year." I told him as we headed back to the trailer where this round of bales were stacked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. But we expect a bigger turn out this year." He said with a huge smile on his face. "The children's hospital where Katie was has booked a private trip out here for Sunday for the kids that are well enough to come."

"That's amazing, Emmett." I told him clapping him on the shoulder as we each lifted another hay bale.

He nodded. "I think Katie would have like having all the people and doctors and nurses that she knew having a blast this weekend. She loved Halloween even though she only got to have three of them."

"She was a spitfire, like her momma, when it came to her costume. I remember that phone call from when she was stuck in the hospital year before last on Halloween demanding that I come trick or treat with her." I said shaking my head at the memory.

"Yes she was. You know Rose and I have been discussing becoming foster parents since we have the space both in the house and out of it." I looked at him with a huge smile on my face because that meant that they were truly healing from the loss of Katie. "Does mom and dad know?" I asked him.

"Does dad know what?" We heard from behind us and both turned guiltily towards the voice even though we had nothing to be guilty about.

Emmett slapped me hard on the shoulder before taking a deep breath. "Emmett!" I heard my mother scream from the direction of the house. He just hung his head as I laughed at his obviously guilty stance. It was obvious now that he hadn't told either of them but was supposed to.

"Shit." He muttered as he headed for the house and the sound of our angry mother's voice.

I watched as my dad walked around the end of the row in my direction. "Hi, son."

I smiled at him. "Hi, Pop. How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you and the boy?" He asked as he helped me stack on another stack of bales.

I laughed at that. "We're both good. Want to know the juicy news?" I asked him with a wiggle of my eyebrows.

He nodded quickly.

"They are thinking of becoming foster parents."

I smiled as I watched his eyes go wide as that simple yet loaded sentence sunk in. "That's amazing."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry folks...I'm just not ready for these two to meet just yet but it was a good guess on them meeting at a Halloween festival but you have to remember they are over 8 hours apart._

 _You may want to brace yourself with this chapter...it's an emotional one._

* * *

 **Chapter 3 (Bella)**

 **Georgia bound**

 **November 2011**

It was two weeks before Thanksgiving and I was headed for Atlanta, Georgia with all three girls for a visit with their parents for the first time in almost a year. "Are you sure you are going to be okay?" Alice asked through the speakers of my car.

I sighed and shook my head which caused Molly to snicker from behind me. "Yes, Alice we are all going to be fine. I know that this is the longest me and the girls have ever been away from home or you but we will all be fine. We will be back home next Tuesday." I told her yet again. We were currently five hours into our six and a half almost seven hour trip and this was the fourth time I had spoken to Alice since leaving this morning.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry but I'm nervous for all of you. This is a huge deal for not only you but the girls also. Plus, you had the hair brained idea to drive through the night to a place you've only been to once before." She rattled on.

"I spent nearly a week here last time, Alice. It wasn't a hair brained idea plus leaving at five o'clock in the afternoon doesn't constitute as driving through the night. Especially since it is only eleven thirty and we are almost there." I told her as I glanced in the rearview mirror at my two sleeping beauties in their car seats. I had been absolutely horrified on the initial trip home from Georgia almost a year ago with the way that Mia's head had dangled forward in her car seat. Angela had given me two slumber slings that hook to the sides of their car seats that keep their heads from dangling.

Alice's sigh came through phone causing Molly to giggle rather loudly from the back seat. "Aunt Ali, we are fine. According to my GPS we should be there within twenty minutes." She said sticking her head beside my head rest.

"Yes, Aunt Ali, we are all fine." I reiterated with a laugh. "I will call you in the morning when we all wake up."

"Okay, goodnight Molly. Goodnight Bella, please be sure to give my two babies kisses for me and tell them that I love them."

"Will do, Ali." I said pushing the button to disconnect the phone allowing the music to come softly through the speakers again. "Good job, Molls. Thank you."

She laughed shaking her head. "No problem. She's a worrier."

I nodded in agreement as I drove through the deserted city of Atlanta. There were hardly no cars on the road but I guess that was to be expected since it was nearing midnight on a Thursday. I had decided that since we were going to be spending Saturday and Sunday visiting with Jake and Vanessa then the girls and I deserved to have a little fun before and after to maybe help them deal with the visits. Less than twenty minutes after ending the phone call with Alice I was pulling into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying at. "Okay, Molly stay right here while I go check us in. Lock the doors as soon as I get out, okay?" I asked her. We had went over this earlier because I needed her help so that we didn't have to deal with two overly cranky kids for very long.

"Okay, Aunt Bella."

As I stepped out of the car my nerves sat in immediately because I was leaving three innocent little children alone in my car in the parking lot of a hotel at midnight in a strange town. "I will be right back, Molly. I swear." I told her as I tapped on her window.

She nodded as I heard the locks click into place. I rushed through the check-in which I had reserved over the computer when I had gotten Jake and Vanessa's letters saying that mine and the girls' visitation papers had been approved. "Thank you!" I called out to the check in girl as I rushed back outside to where I saw a man standing a few feet away from my car wearing a similar uniform to the girl inside. "Can I help you?" I asked him nervously as I went to stand beside my car.

He took a step towards me cautiously. "My name is Jackson and I'm the bellhop and night time valet. Do you need a hand with your belongings?"

I sighed in relief and nodded. "Yes, please."

While Jackson carried all of our luggage I carried Mia and Maci in my arms up to our room which was a challenge in and of itself. "Thank you, Jackson." I whispered to him as he set the bags down just inside the door.

"Your welcome. You guys have a good night."

"Please! Please! Please!" Molly begged as she bounced around in front of me as we stood in the lobby of the hotel. Mia was looking up at me with hopeful eyes as she bounced on her toes beside Molly. Maci was patting my shoulder steadily while nodding her head in excitement. We were standing in front of the Atlanta Theatre where Cinderella was being performed on stage in an hour.

I rolled my eyes at them which caused Mia and Molly to cheer because they knew that meant I was going to give in to them. "Fine but I want no cranky business in the morning when we go visit Jake. Deal?"

They all nodded in agreement as we headed for the ticket window to purchase our entrance into the theatre. It was nearing ten o'clock by the time we dragged butt back into the hotel room and visitations with Jake started at ten o'clock but we were told to be there an hour ahead of time. "Okay, we will do baths in the morning." I told all the girls as I washed them off with a warm cloth before slipping their pajamas on and tucking them in the beds. Molly and Mia were sharing one bed while Maci and I took the other one. I set the alarm on my phone before crawling beneath the blankets and snuggling into Maci's limp form.

"Mama!" Maci called loudly as she tapped me on the face. I groaned as I popped open an eye to look at the clock that sat on the nightstand between the beds. 6:58.

I grabbed Maci tugging her back down onto the bed with me causing her to giggle loudly. "Morning Maci girl." I told her as I 'chewed' on her neck causing her to squeal and giggle loudly.

"Up!" She said as she squirmed out of my hold to sit up on the bed. I flopped my head back on the pillow and playfully shut my eyes. "No, Mama! Up!" Maci screamed as she climbed on top of me.

I heard Mia and Molly tossing and turning in their bed which meant that they were waking up too. Just then the alarm sounded on my phone alerting me that we needed to get up because we had to get to the prison in just three hours.

"Molly why don't you come hop in the shower while I order up breakfast." I called out as I help Mia off the toilet.

She groaned but I also heard her rustling around in her suitcase for something to wear. I ruffled her bed rumpled hair as I passed her in the doorway. I sat Mia down in the floor to play with Maci while I called to order room service. "What sounds good this morning girls?" I asked Maci and Mia as they sat playing in the floor.

We finally settled on pancakes, fresh strawberries, scrambled eggs, and sausage links. While Molly occupied the bathroom and we all waited for breakfast to be delivered I pulled out clothes for Maci, Mia, and myself for today. Not knowing what the dress codes for the prison was we were all going to be dressed pretty similarly; jeans, long sleeved shirts, and boots on our feet.

"Molls, breakfast!" I called out to her as I fed Maci from my plate.

Once Molly came out fully dressed with her long black locks hanging loosely down her back I noticed her red rimmed eyes. I stood up so that I could sit Maci down in my seat so that I could pull Molly into my arms. "What's wrong, sweet girl?" I asked her quietly as I pulled her down into my lap as I sat on the bed farthest from the table where the little girls were eating.

She shrugged as she buried her head into my shoulder.

"That's BS, Molly, and you know it. Tell me what's wrong." I said pushing her just a bit but I didn't want her to blow up while we were at the prison visiting with her mom or her dad.

She sighed against me before sitting up on my lap. "I'm just so confused and mad." She said fisting her hands in her lap.

"Okay, let's deal with one emotion at a time. Why are you confused?"

"I don't know whether to call them mom and dad or Jake and Vanessa." She said hanging her head.

I stroked her back gently. "You call them whatever feels right to you, okay?"

"You won't be mad if I call her mom?" She whispered so softly I almost didn't hear her.

I shook my head as I pulled her back against my chest. "Absolutely not, Molly. Vanessa will always be you guy's biological mother. You knew her as 'Mom' longer than Maci or Mia did. Does it upset you that they call _me_ 'mom' sometimes?"

She shook her head. "No because you are what a mom is supposed to be. You are our mom now though not her."

I had to blink my eyes to keep the tears from falling down my face. "Thank you, Molly. I love being a mom to you three girls. I love each and every one of you with all my heart." I told her softly as I squeezed her tight. "Now, why are you mad?"

"Because of what they did to us. I know now that it wasn't right but it was all we knew before you came to get us. They were our parents and they didn't act like it, not like you do." She whispered angrily.

"Baby, they were sick back then. Their thoughts and actions were taken over by the drugs. I know it's not a good excuse but it's the truth. They have both gotten help now and are thinking clearly again." I explained softly.

She nodded before taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms around me in a bone crushing hug. "I love you. Thank you for being my mama." She whispered into my ear.

"It's my pleasure, sweet girl."

After giving the little girls a bath together I sat them in the floor to play and watch cartoons while I rushed through my morning routine. "Molly watch them while I take me a quick shower." I said sticking my head out of the bathroom. "Please."

"Of course. Want me to get them dressed too?"

I smiled at her. "You don't have to, sweetheart. I will do it when I get out of here but thanks for asking."

"She's obviously not mine." Jake whispered as we all walked to the snack machines to get the girls some snacks.

I looked down at Maci who was looking curiously between me and Jake. I shook my head at him. "No, she's not but that is a moot point now because none of them are yours anymore." I snapped at him irritably.

"You think I don't know that, Bella? It's just a shock to know that she's not biologically mine like Mia and Molly are. I gave them all to you, Nessa and I both did, because we knew that you were their best chance at a normal life." He said hanging his head solemnly.

I sighed, feeling guilty for snapping at him. "They have changed my life, Jake, just as I have changed theirs. You two put yourselves before these girls and they didn't deserve that." I told him honestly thinking of all the struggles the girls, Alice, and myself have gone through over the past year because of him and Vanessa.

He nodded as I handed the quarters to Molly to get the snack she wanted. "They don't call me dad anymore." He said softly as he watched Molly pick Mia up so she could push the buttons on the machine.

I shook my head. "Molly and I talked about that this morning. I told her she didn't have to, and she doesn't. She's learned what a real parent is all about and she said herself that you and Vanessa weren't that. I'm sorry Jake but that's their reality."

"No, it's okay. Just kind of a shock to my system I guess now that I'm clean and sober." He said as we headed back towards the table. "I've been called Dad for almost twelve years and now it's just gone."

I nodded sadly as I sat down with Maci in my lap, Mia to my left, and Molly to my right. "Molly, do you have anything you want to say or ask Jake?" I asked her quietly as I nudged her elbow to get her attention.

She looked up at him. "Why?" She asked simply.

I could tell that it was hard to explain his past actions to his twelve year old daughter but she deserved to hear it from him and that is how the rest of our visit went. Before we left for the day Molly shocked us all by willingly giving Jake a hug goodbye which brought tears pouring down Jake's face as he leaned down to place a soft kiss to the top of her glistening black hair that matched his perfectly. "You be a good girl for your mama, she's an amazing person." I heard him whisper into her hair.

She nodded. "I will. Thank you for choosing her to be our new mama." Molly whispered as she stepped beside me reaching for my hand.

"You are more than welcome Molly." He waved bye to us as a guard headed his way. "Thank you guys for coming to visit me."

"You're welcome, Jake. Be safe." I called as we walked through the thick steel security door that allowed us access to the outside world once again.

After I had the girls all buckled into the car I had a great idea to end the day on a fun note. "Who wants to go ice skating after dinner?"

"Me! Me! Me!" I heard from the backseat.

I laughed and headed for a Chinese restaurant that I had passed on the way to the prison. "Okay, Chinese then maybe a walk around the park to look at all the pretty lights before ice skating." I told them as I laid the plans for the evening out to them.

I called Alice later that night as I settled into bed beside an exhausted Maci to give her a rundown on how the first visit went before I collapsed beside Maci anxious for tomorrow to be over with. The next morning the girls were abnormally cranky and moody on the way to the prison where Vanessa was housed at.

"Girls!" I called out raising my voice at them so that I could be heard over them. Mia and Maci were fighting and Molly was complaining because they kept tossing things into her lap. "That is enough."

Mia immediately slumped into her car seat and I watched as Maci's bottom lip began to tremble. "Mama…" She whined pitifully.

I shook my head which caused her to start crying. "Maci Isabella that is enough." I told her sternly.

Her cries settled into mere whimpers and hiccups as I pulled into the parking lot of the female prison. I took a deep breath before climbing out of the car to help the girls out. I could already tell that this was going to be a trying day for all of us and frankly I wasn't looking forward to it at all. "Come on girls." I told them as I pulled Maci from her car seat slipping my purse over my head as I put her on my hip. Thankfully the guard who was managing the check-in got some giggles out of all of the girls which put them in better spirits once we were settled at a table in the visitation room that was eerily similar to the one at Jake's prison. I took a deep breath as I watched Vanessa walk into the room with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh my goodness you girls have gotten so big!" She said excitedly as she sat down on the other side of the table from me and the girls.

I sighed as Maci dug her head further into my neck. "Hi, Nessa." I said to my sister in law that like Molly I held so much animosity and anger towards that it was shadowing the visit.

"Red hair?" She asked in a shocked voice as she pointed to Maci.

I ran my fingers through Maci's bright red strands as she snuggled into my neck. "Yeah and bright blue eyes." I told her looking at her firmly in her face.

"Wow." She mumbled before turning her attention to Mia. "Mia, my girl, can mommy color with you?" She asked reaching across the table to where Mia sat coloring on the pages I had brought with us.

Mia pulled her paper and crayons closer shaking her head.

"Mia, use your voice!" She snapped at her which made me angry because frankly she had no right to talk to her like that or demand anything from her.

Mia dropped her crayons on the table before burrowing into my side. I wrapped an arm around her patting her back. "It's okay, Mia Grace, finish your picture sweetheart." I told her softly as I glared at Vanessa. "She doesn't speak when she's stressed, Nessa, and I don't force her to speak if she's not comfortable in doing so." I snapped at her.

Vanessa held her hands up in apology. "How is she going to learn to speak Bella if she's not forced to do it?"

I rolled my eyes. "She can speak perfectly fine! You would know that if you were around and not locked up here." I snapped angrily at her.

That caused Vanessa to hang her head in defeat. "I know. How are you handling having them with you?"

"She's great, Vanessa. The best mom in the world." Molly snapped at her before looking at me with fire sparkling in her eyes. "Mama, can we go? I don't want to be here." She begged me softly.

Vanessa gasped as she put her hand over her mouth. "She calls you Mama?"

I nodded as I looked at Vanessa. "Yes because that's what I am now." I told her before taking a deep breath. "Nessa this is likely your only chance to see your daughters for the foreseeable future I advise you to put your animosity, smart comments, and anger aside so that you can enjoy seeing them. Otherwise I will do as _my_ daughters want and leave." I told her firmly leaving no room for argument.

I watched the emotions flicker across her face before she sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry Bella to all of you but seeing them so obviously happy and healthy all because of you is such a shock and blow to me." She said with tears in her eyes.

I sighed as I nodded in understanding on her part but I had to protect my girls also. "I know, let's just try to have a nice visit while we still can."

The rest of the visit went better than I could have expected considering how it started but I couldn't contain the sigh of relief as I walked out of the door with my girls all clinging to me. "Can we go home now?" Molly asked that night as we sat on the couch in our hotel room.

I chuckled as I pulled her against my side. "Do you want to head home tomorrow instead of staying for a few more days?" I asked her quietly as 'Frozen' played on the TV in front of us.

She nodded against my side. "Can we?"

"Of course we can, sweetheart. You know I am extremely proud of the way you handled yourself this weekend." I told her honestly.

"Thanks Mama."

The next day we were on the road back home as soon as we had cleaned up from breakfast. Instead of the seven hours it had taken us to get there it took us almost eight to get home because of the frequent stops that came with having two toddlers in the car. "Home sweet home!" I told them as I turned the car off in the driveway. Our blue house standing before us like a beacon of normalcy.

"Home!" Maci cheered from her car seat. "Out, Mama!" She said tugging on her straps.

I laughed at her as I climbed from the car. I was just setting her feet on the sidewalk when the front door burst open revealing an overly excited Alice. "My girls!" She called out as she sprinted off the porch towards us.

All three girls bolted towards her with arms held wide open. Their reunion brought tears to my eyes but I ushered them all inside the house out of the cold because the girls hadn't put their jackets on before bolting out of the car.

Later that evening after the girls were all settled into their beds Alice and Jasper pulled me into the living room for a 'chat' despite my begging for it to wait until morning.

"We have some shocking news to share." Alice said gripping my hands tightly in hers while Jasper sat behind her with his hands clasped in the calm manner that he always exuded.

I took a deep breath as she gripped my hands tightly in hers. "Just spill it, Ali. I'm tired and ready to go to bed."

"We're pregnant!" She spilled all in one big gush.

I slumped back against the cushions of the couch in pure shock. "Wow." I said quietly. "That's just wow."

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked nervously.

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah. Uh, congratulations. This is sort of some shocking news but I'm happy for you two. I guess it's time to step up the house hunting then." I told them with a smile.

"Thanks, Bella. We are nervous to tell the girls the news." She said hanging her head.

"Yeah, I'm leaving that all up to you two." I told them holding my hands up. "I'm beat, you guys. Congratulations on the baby. I'm sure I will muster more enthusiasm in the morning." I told them getting up from the couch.

"Goodnight, Bells." Alice called as I headed back to my bedroom. Honestly, I was happy for them but I was also extremely nervous on how I would manage with the three girls working the hours that I worked at the hospital. Alice and Jasper had helped out tremendously with my ever changing schedule but I couldn't expect them to do that when they were becoming parents of their own little one. I needed to talk to my supervisor as soon as I got back to work and see if I could set my schedule to days only. If they weren't willing to work with me then maybe it was time to find a job with set hours and non-rotating shifts.

I quickly changed into my pajamas, which was a pair of female boxers and a tank top, before climbing beneath the blankets of my own bed that I had missed something awful the past few days while in Atlanta. I mused over the visits with Jake and Nessa as well as Jasper and Alice's news until nearly two o'clock in the morning before sleep finally took me under.

The next day was spent planning our first big thanksgiving as a family, likely the last one in this house with us all living together.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry about being a day late but I took my little cousins on a road trip to see their older sister and to deliver her birthday cake. Plus, this Thursday was my mom's birthday and I have literally spent my days off making cakes and travelling._

 _But here is the next installment..._

* * *

 **Chapter 4 (Edward)**

 **Nightmare come true**

 **December 2011**

"Jesus Christ, who is it?" I asked pushing the button that linked my apartment to the intercom downstairs.

The giggle that sounded through the speaker sent chills down my spine. "It's me, Eddie. Can I come up?"

"No, Tanya, you may not. My son is sleeping and today is Christmas. Go home." I snapped at her as I pulled my finger off the button only for it to start incessantly buzzing yet again. I am thankful that it hadn't woke Noah up when it woke me up a few minutes ago.

"Tanya, stop and go home." I told her getting angry. "It is three o'clock in the fucking morning for pete's sake."

I heard her sigh in defeat. "I just wanted to see my baby on his first Christmas." She mumbled softly.

"You don't have a baby anymore. He's mine. Go home or I'm calling the cops." I snapped as I let go of the button for the last time.

I leaned against the wall for a few minutes in case she decided to lay on it again but thankfully she didn't. I trudged my way back to my bed collapsing on top of it as Noah continued to snore gently in the corner of the room. The house hunt these past few weeks had been pointless because nothing I saw interested me to the point of buying it. The next time I opened my eyes it was to the sounds of Noah gurgling and giggling from his crib. I rolled over to see him sitting up holding onto the rails as he looked at me.

"Morning buddy." I called out to him which caused his gurgles and babbling to turn into unsatisfied whimpers. "Merry Christmas."

I climbed from the bed picking him from his crib before laying him on his changing table to get him freshened up for the day. "We had an unexpected visitor early this morning." I told him as I stripped him down so that I could wipe him off before slipping a clean diaper on him. He chewed on his fists as I worked diligently to get him into a clean diaper free of the pee smell.

After breakfast I packed us into the car as we headed for my parent's house for Christmas dinner. "Ready to go see, Nanna?" I asked Noah as I parked beside Emmett's Jeep in the driveway.

Noah waved his hands excitedly in the air as I climbed from the car to get him out. "There's my boy!" My mom called as she headed down the sidewalk towards the car as I unbuckled Noah from the straps. We had upgraded a new car seat a few weeks ago because he was almost past the weight range for his infant carrier so I was still struggling with the straps a bit. Finally I had him freed from his straps and pulled him into my arms with his bag slung over my shoulder. "Hi, Ma. Merry Christmas." I said kissing her on the cheek as I passed Noah to her.

"Hi, son. Merry Christmas." She said as she returned my kiss to her cheek with one of her own to my cheek. She stopped just inside the door turning to face me as I closed the door behind me. "You can't fool me, Edward. What's wrong?"

I just gaped at her because I thought I was playing the shocking visit with Tanya off pretty well in the few minutes that I had been in her presence. "Nothing's wrong, Ma." I told her plastering what I hoped was a convincing smile on my face.

She shook her head. "Not working. Have you forgotten who your father and brother are?" She said with a roll of her eyes.

"No, Ma I haven't." I told her with a wink as I scooted around her into the living room where my dad and brother were sitting watching the football game.

The buzzing of my phone drug my attention from the football game. Tanya. I gripped my phone tightly to help control my sudden anger before shaking my head and stuffing it back in my pocket. "You okay, son?" My dad asked from his recliner beside me.

I nodded tight lipped as my phone stopped buzzing only to start immediately back up again. "JESUS CHRIST!" I practically shouted as I pulled my incessantly buzzing phone my pocket yet again. "What do you want, Tanya? It's Christmas for fucks sake." I snapped into the phone as I stood up from the couch heading for the backyard that I had grown up playing in.

"I just want to see him, Edward." She said softly into the phone.

"WHAT PART OF NO DO YOU NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND?!" I screamed into the phone angrily.

"Edward, he's my son too. I deserve to see him on his first Christmas. Please don't deny me that." She pleaded pointlessly.

I shook my head as I sat down in one of the lounge chairs on the back deck. "You want to talk about denying somebody something, Tanya? What about denying my son of a mother? What about denying my son the chance of a normal household? You have no legal rights to him anymore, Tanya. I'm sorry but my final answer is still no." I breathed angrily into the phone.

I jumped when I felt my dad's hand on my shoulder. "But, Edward—" I tuned her out as my dad squeezed my shoulder in support before sitting beside me in the other lounger. I took a deep breath before responding as calmly as I could possibly manage.

"No, Tanya, no buts. You signed the papers, not me. It's not my fault that you are now having regrets. I waited three months to turn in those papers terminating your rights hoping you would change your mind but it's too late now. He's eight months old and this is the first time you are reaching out to me about him. Hell, you don't even know his name. I call bullshit and my final answer is still No." I told her as I faintly heard the back door sliding open again before I felt my mom's hand run through my hair.

"I'm sorry, Edward." Tanya muttered defeated.

I took a deep breath. "Me too, Tanya, because he really is a fantastic little boy but you were too self-absorbed back then to take a chance on him. Please don't contact me again as you have no reason to. Oh, and show back up at mine and Noah's residence drunk again and I will call the cops immediately. Have a nice life, Tanya. It was nice knowing you." I told her as I hung up the phone.

"She's what had you so tense when you first got here?" My mom asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah she woke me up this morning about three or so by buzzing my speaker over and over again. It was rather obvious that she was drunk or high one. I won't have that around him, ever."

"I'm sorry, son." My mom said as she squeezed my arm before sitting across my father's lap. We all lost track of time sitting outside talking until Emmett stuck his head out of the house complaining about his stomach trying to eat itself.

House hunting was an absolute bust so I gave up deciding I would come back to it in a few months. Just as I was about to toss my frozen pizza into the oven my doorbell sounded off throughout the room. Tossing the pizza onto the counter before sitting Noah down in the floor I headed for the front door to stop the sound. "Yes?" I asked pushing the button as Noah crawled towards me with a huge smile on his face.

"Edward, it's me. Can I come up so we can talk?" Tanya.

I groaned as I leaned my head against the wall above the intercom as Noah pulled himself up by my pants legs gurgling the entire time. "Is that him?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes that's him and no you may not come up. Go home." I snapped at her letting my finger off the button to end our conversation. I scooped Noah up in my arms tickling his sides as I made my way back to the kitchen. "I hate to say this buddy but I sincerely hope that you never get involved with someone as crazy as that. I can't say that I'm sorry for ever being with her because I got you out of the deal but dang she drives me crazy." I told him as I slid him into his high chair before tossing my pizza in the oven.

I headed for the cabinet that held all of the baby essentials to pick out Noah's dinner. I would be so glad when he could eat solid foods instead of the foul smelling stuff that comes from these jars but then I will have to learn to cook. "What's it gonna be tonight, Noah?" I asked him scanning the row of baby food in my cabinets.

He just gurgled in response as he played with the toy attachments that went to his chair.

"How about 'Herbed Chicken with Pasta'?" I asked him pulling the jar from the cabinet grabbing his spoon from the dish drainer along with a bottle from the fridge. He got a bottle of formula for bedtime so I give him a variety of juices to drink during his meals.

I sat down in the chair next to Noah as I popped the lid on his jar of baby food which got his attention immediately. I pulled off his tray of toys replacing it with his bottle which he ignored as his eyes were trained solely on the jar of food and the spoon in my hand. Halfway through feeding him a knock sounded on the door interrupting our dinner time. "Well who in the hell could that be?" I muttered to myself as I stood up heading for the front door. Noah started crying because I took the jar of food with me. "Hold on a sec!" I called to the door as I raced into the kitchen pulling his can of puffs from the top of the fridge tossing a handful onto his tray which calmed him immediately as he gripped one placing it into his mouth, his latest achievement.

I walked to the door slightly frazzled because I honestly didn't know who it could be since it was almost six o'clock and my family knew that it was dinner, bath, and chill out time around here plus they would have called first. I pulled the door open only to regret it immediately. Tanya.

"What in the hell are you doing here? Are you wanting to go to jail?" I asked her holding the door firmly so that she couldn't see into the apartment where Noah was enjoying his strawberry apple puffs.

She sighed as she rolled her eyes. "No. I just want to see him, Edward."

I shook my head. "My answer hasn't changed, Tanya. No."

"Why are you being like this? He's my son too! I carried him for nine months before pushing him out of a place where something that big should never come out of!" She said throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Yet again, I shook my head at her. "I'm being like this because you left that god awful paper laying in my son's plastic crib alone in a hospital room while you just waltzed your ass out of there like nothing was wrong." I said getting angrier by the second. "He's not your son anymore! You signed those right away the day you pushed him into this world out of something that was never that small!" I snapped at her as I shut the door in her face so that I could go finish feeding my son his dinner.

Before I even got sat back down Tanya started banging on the door. "God grant me some patience please so that I don't go to jail for strangling this woman who gave me the best gift in the entire world." I muttered to myself as I kissed Noah on top of the head while he munched happily on his snacks.

I snatched up the picture Rose had taken of Noah at Thanksgiving. He was sitting in a pile of leaves in mom and dad's backyard, his blue eyes shining brightly and a smile on his face as Emmett 'rained' leaves down on his head. I snatched open the door wedging my foot behind it so only my body could fit in the space. "Here, see him! He's beautiful and happy and doesn't need you!" I told Tanya practically shoving the frame in her face with a snarl.

I'm not sure if it made me a horrible person or not but seeing her eyes water and her chin tremble as she looked at the photo made me just a smidge happy. "What's his name? Can you please tell me that? You've always been so evasive about it." She asked softly.

I shook my head. "That's not your concern." I told her snatching the picture back from her hands. "Why are you doing this, Tanya?" I asked her as I sat the picture frame on the table just inside the door before sneaking a peak at Noah who was taking a drink from his bottle now.

"I regret it, Edward. I've met somebody and they have changed my perspective on some things. He's one of them." She said looking at me with eyes that used to make me instantly hard and forget the world existed around me. My son's eyes.

"Go figure. You are going to have to find some other way to deal with those regrets because my son is off limits to you until the day he turns 18." I told her firmly.

She reached out a hand as if to touch me but I backed up a step. "Don't. It's dinnertime here so you need to leave now." I told her as I shut the door with a soft click.

Thankfully with no more interruptions I finished with feeding Noah just as the timer went off on the oven signaling that my dinner was done also. I wiped his face, hands, and stomach down before setting him in the floor so that I could clean up his mess and eat my own dinner.

"We're gonna sit and watch a movie tonight instead of work. You game?" I told Noah a bit later as I pulled his milk bottle from the fridge for bedtime.

He just laid his wet head on my shoulder sleepily not saying a peep. I turned the TV on low as I settled into the corner of the couch with Noah propped against my chest, his bottle in his mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

_NOTHING HAS CHANGED ABOUT THIS CHAPTER...JUST THE AUTHOR'S NOTE TRYING TO CLEAR UP A FEW THINGS._

 _Despite how popular online dating is these days none of you guessed that is how these two would meet. Even though they lived in separate cities in DIFFERENT states you all guessed that they would meet at daycare or want the same house and things like that. Nope. We're almost there...I promise. Though they don't actually meet in person until Chapter 13 (which is where I'm at now). They don't meet in person until chapter 13 but they start interacting in the next few chapters. I'm sorry if this deters some people from reading but I felt it important to show their lives before they become a couple. Once they start communicating things move fairly quickly. I am not typically a slow build up type of person._

 _EDWARD IS NOT MACI'S FATHER...sorry to say but he's irrelevant to this entire story. I'm not sure what is confusing about this statement...Edward is not Maci's father. Maci's biological father is irrelevant to this story. I have no plans of bringing him into play._

 _Hope you enjoy their journey. We've gotten to know them as individuals and as parents but now it's time for them to start a new journey..._ _together._

 _Without further ado...a day early at that..._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 (Bella)**

 **Big changes, good changes?**

 **December 2011**

The weeks following Thanksgiving brought a bunch of changes for me and my girls. I found the perfect house, finally, for me and the girls. It allowed each of us our own bedrooms plus a playroom for them, a pool, and a huge yard with equally huge trees for the girls to play on. Things seemed to be falling perfectly into place when my supervisor at work asked me if I would be interested in taking the charge nurse position at the new children's clinic that was scheduled to open after the first of the year. The new job would be a set schedule of Monday thru Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. I would have to find a daycare for the girls but that would allow Maci the chance to socialize more than she does now and let Alice off the hook when she didn't feel up to watching them.

Today it was time to put purchasing a house, changing jobs, and lining up daycare aside because it was time to celebrate our family. It was Christmas. "Mama up!" I heard Maci call through the baby monitor just as I heard little feet pitter pattering out in the hall.

"Don't you girls dare touch a single present!" I called out quickly to Mia and Molly as I scrambled from the bed.

As soon as I whipped open my door I spotted them standing stock still in the living room doorway. I had been stashing their presents in the trunk of Alice's car and in Jasper's workshop for the past two months so there was an impressive pile for each girl. "Is that all for us?" Molly aske as she turned wide eyes at me.

I couldn't help but smile at the wide eyed girls. It was obvious that they had never had a huge Christmas like this and that made me sad but I would make sure it was a constant every year. "It is but I need you to wait a minute while I get your sister up and changed." I told them as I headed into Maci and Mia's room. "Morning Maci girl." I told my wide eyed baby as I caught her attempting to climb out of her crib. "Just what are you doing?" I asked her as I ran a hand through her curls.

"Maci up." She said with a beautiful smile.

Chuckling I picked her up taking her over to the changing table that she was just about to outgrow. "I think it's time to start using the big potty, don't you?" I asked her as I tugged her pajamas off to change her wet diaper.

She nodded although I don't think she quite understood what I had said. Once I had her butt changed and her pajamas fastened back I scooped her up so I could take us into the living room and begin our Christmas just right. "You know what today is Maci?"

She shook her head looking at me strangely.

"It's Christmas. Santa Claus came to visit our house last night and brought lots and lots of presents." I explained as I turned the corner into the living room where I saw the girls sitting on the floor in front of the tree they had all helped us decorate a few weeks ago. "Ali!" I called out into the kitchen because I could smell the hot cocoa she always cooked for Christmas. It was the one thing that she mastered while we were in college.

"Coming!" She sang out as she walked into the living room with a tray full of cups that were steaming while Jasper trailed behind her. They were both still in their pajamas which was a tradition that Alice and I had been doing since our first Christmas together. "Who wants cocoa?" She asked handing Maci her sippy cup.

After cocoa and presents I got myself and the girls dressed for one last present. "Why do we have to get dressed?" Molly asked as she pulled her new fuzzy boots on over her leggings.

"Because your final present isn't here so we have to go get it. Normally I wouldn't even think about getting out of our pj's but I don't think you will want to miss out on this last gift that is from Papa Charlie and Nana Sue." I explained as I slipped Maci's shoes on.

She nodded in understanding as she left the room. "Mia, you got your shoes on yet?" I called out as I sat Maci on her feet. "Go find Molly."

As Maci went in search of Molly I went in search of Mia only to find her sitting in the middle of her bedroom floor in tears. I immediately scooped the tiny girl up into my arms going to the rocker that sat in the corner of the room. "What's wrong, baby girl?" I asked as I cuddled her close.

She shrugged her shoulders as she wrapped her little arms around my neck. "If I don't know what's wrong, Mia, I don't know how to make it better."

"I don't want you to take my toys away." She whispered sadly. "When we move."

I tightened my arms around her little body. "I would never do that sweetheart, everything you have here is going to move to the new house with you."

"Daddy always said we couldn't take anything with us." She mumbled against my chest.

I had to clench my jaws tight to keep from telling her that her daddy could go fuck himself. "Your daddy doesn't make the rules anymore, Mia. I do and I say everything is going with us. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

After a few more cuddles and kisses she slipped off my lap so she could get her shoes on. "Let's go girls!" I called out as I slipped my feet into my ballet flats.

Following the directions that my stepmother and Jake's biological mother had sent in the email detailing the Christmas present they had bought for the girls it took me fifteen minutes to pull up to a house a few miles outside of town. I knew what the present was and though I was skeptical on how it would all work out with me taking on another thing that would require my assistance on a daily basis I agreed to do this because I knew it would be a great experience for my little family. "Mama where are we?" Molly asked as we climbed from the car.

"To get your last present. Come on." I told them as I held out my hands for them to take. I grasped Maci and Mia's hands while Molly grabbed Maci's other one. As we stepped up on the porch of the cute little farm house I reached out to knock on the door.

After just a few seconds the door opened to reveal an elderly woman who had a kind smile. "Hi! You must be Bella." She said opening the screen door to usher us inside the house. "Come on in out of the cold." She said sweetly to the girls as I walked in with the girls trailing behind me nervously. "The babies are just in the bedroom." She said leading the way.

Molly tugged on my shirt sleeve. "Baby? We're getting another baby?" She asked curiously.

I laughed and tugged her forward as we neared the open doorway that had a baby gate blocking the bottom of it. "Yes but not a human baby." I told her as I helped all the girls to look through the doorway.

"Puppies!" Maci said as she spotted the tiny little balls of fur playing in the room beyond the gate. I had been a bit skeptical on taking home one puppy but the smiles on my girl's faces was well worth it so I called my dad and Sue so we could thank them.

"Come up with a name so we can tell it to Nana and Pop and get it put on their name tag." I told them as I handed them the little fur ball that would grow into a huge fur ball in a few months. The little German Shephard puppy was the runt of the litter so she was very tiny but the owner assured me that she was perfectly healthy.

Bubbles.

That was the name for the squirming little fur ball that the girls came up with. It was an eye opening experience in the pet store as the girls and I picked out all the necessary equipment. But it all went downhill when we had to get the pup her shots. Maci cried for the puppy who didn't even flinch as the vet stuck the needle in her back.

"Shot owie Mama." She cried into my neck as Molly took the puppy back from the vet who smiled sympathetically at me and my crying girl.

I rubbed her back soothingly. "Yes, shots hurt but Bubbles had to have her shots just like you had to have yours a few months ago." I explained as I gathered our bags and left the store.

Two hours later Alice was sitting at the kitchen table with a scowl on her face. "I thought it was supposed to be a kitten, Bella. Not a puppy that will be the size of a small horse." She said as she nibbled on a cracker.

"Sorry, Ali. The puppies and the kittens were all in the same room and after one of the kittens swatted at Mia they didn't want them anymore." I explained as I pulled the small turkey from the oven to go with the rest of the dishes I had fixed for the day.

Just then Bubbles came skittering into the kitchen with a pitiful whine before nudging Alice's leg begging to be held. "It is pretty cute, Bella." She said as she picked the little whining thing up cuddling her in her lap as I went about slicing the turkey.

Two weeks into the New Year I showed the girls their new house for the first time so they could pick out their bedrooms. "This is our new house, girls." I told them as I parked in the driveway. "You ready to go pick out your bedroom so we can get them painted?" I asked as we piled out of the car and onto the front porch that was slightly bigger than the one on our current house. "Take your shoes off before you go exploring." I told them as I climbed from the car.

"It's blue." Molly said as she climbed from the back seat.

I laughed because it was indeed blue. All over. "It is that. Maybe we can have it repainted this summer." I told her as Maci and Mia joined us on the driveway.

Amid cheers of joy I led them through the front door of the house and into the big open space of the living room, dining room, and kitchen. "Whoa!" Mia said as she skidded on the hardwood floors that were throughout the entire house.

"This is huge!" Molly said as she began turning twirls in the large space.

I placed my purse on the island counter as I watched the girls play and dance in the open space. That was one of the things that I had loved about this house, the open floor plan that would let me be part of the girls activities while I cooked our meals. There was a beautiful floor to ceiling stone fireplace with built in bookshelves on either side that dominated the main wall in the living area, two French doors that led to a back patio and huge backyard.

"This is ours now?" Mia asked as she twirled in front of me.

"Yes ma'am. Do you like it?" I asked her as I picked her up, sitting her on the counter so we were eye to eye.

She nodded with a huge smile on her face. "Bubbles come too?"

"Yep, Bubbles gets to come too. How about we go pick our bedrooms now?" I said setting her back on the floor.

With a quick nod she took off down the hallway contained all four bedrooms and both bathrooms while the play room, half bath, and laundry room were on the other side of the house. Molly ended up choosing the slightly smaller bedroom that had the bigger closet while Mia chose the bigger room with built in shelves on the short wall beside the closet. Maci got the room closest to mine which I liked and so did she. After a quick run around out in the backyard we were on our way home so we could get homework, dinner, and baths done.

Alice and I decided on design ideas for each of the bedrooms that would hopefully bring a smile to each of the girls faces when they saw them for the first time. This was Alice's way of sweetening the girls up for when she broke the news about the baby she was still keeping hidden from them. Molly's room was going to be painted hot pink with zebra prints throughout. Mia's room would be painted a bright blue that would contrast nicely with her new lime green comforter set. Maci's room was going to be light pink and white stripes that would go with her new big girl furniture. I had decided to go ahead and put her toddler bed in her new bedroom along with her crib thinking that I could slowly break her into the toddler bed for nap times during the weekends.

Alice showing up on my doorsteps a few days before Valentine's Day wasn't as big of a shocker as the gift she came bearing. A year subscription to an online dating service. "You are insane!" I told her as I tossed my tablet onto the couch beside her before heading to the kitchen for something to drink.

She nodded somberly in agreement. "I think it's the pregnancy hormones. But this is a good idea. It is time for you to put yourself out there, Bella. How long has it been since you've went on a date?" She asked as she hopped up onto one of the barstools I had sat at the island overhang.

"I don't, Ali. A few months before I took the girls in, I guess." I told her as I pulled two bottles of water from the fridge handing her one.

"Exactly. And you've had them for over a year. It's time, Bella." She said sliding the tablet back to me as I sat on the stool next to her.

Begrudgingly I looked through the profiles on the screen. "Is this really what my life has resorted to, Alice? Scrolling the internet for a man?" I asked as I perused through countless photos of mostly topless men.

"It's nobody's fault but your own that I had to resort to this." She said as she sipped her water while rubbing her rounded stomach with the other hand. She was five months pregnant and was glowing with it.

"Yeah yeah. Just what did you put in my profile to make all these half naked men become 'good matches'?" I asked as I clicked on the 'My Profile' link to see what she had filled into the numerous spaces. "Really, Alice? Looking for a good time?"

I spent the next hour filling in the questions with my own responses instead of Alice's playful one. "Now, let's give it a week or two and see what happens."


	6. Chapter 6

_Kind of a shorter chapter, only 1900 words, but it at least gets us to that first email._

 _This is also why I posted the surprise chapter last night!_

 _Enjoy..._

* * *

 **Chapter 6 (Edward)**

 **Curve balls of life**

 **February 2012**

"Any plans for Valentine's day, Edward?" Rose asked as I was sitting in my office waiting for the last client of the day to come in.

I scoffed at her because she knew that my plans revolved around Noah and nobody else. "You very well know that I don't have any plans other than having dinner with my son."

"Just as I figured. I think it's time, Edward." Rose said as she stood in the doorway to my office.

Leaning back in my chair I just looked at her curiously with a raised eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Time to move on, Edward. Noah is almost a year old and that cold hearted bitch has had a hold over your for long enough." She said as she handed me her iPad. "I signed you up. Now it's time for you to pick through the rubble." She told me with a smirk before leaving the room without another word.

One glance at the screen caused me to laugh out loud which caused Rose to laugh from the other room. "Online dating, Rose? Am I really that desperate?" I asked her through the open doorway.

She poked her head through the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "When was the last time you had sex with something other than your hand?" I just shook my head at her. "My point exactly. Have fun."

I shooed her away as I began to peruse through the profiles on the screen. After what seemed like countless profiles of hot young women that didn't seem like the type that would want a man whose whole life revolved around his son and his work I finally decided to check out my own profile to see what Rose had entered. It was minimally filled out so I decided to fill in the spaces she had left blank to see if that could get me some more women to my liking. After filling out my profile with my answers and a recent picture of myself which was one that had been snapped a few weeks ago at a family gathering. I was sitting in the rocking chair on Rose and Em's front porch with Noah napping against my chest but at the angle the picture was taken you could only see the back of Noah's head.

"Find anything interesting?" Rose asked a bit later.

Shaking my head at her I handed her back her iPad. "No but that could be because somebody put in my profile that I was looking for a good time and posted a picture of me without my shirt on." I told her with a smile. "I filled out the profile with my own words and a different picture so maybe I will get a decent girl instead of a floozy looking for a good time."

"Good." She chirped as she took her iPad back. "The last client is here, by the way."

Since the perfect house for Noah and I seemed to be beyond my reach I decided to hunt for the perfect piece of land so I could get a house built the way I wanted it. So that is how I spent the majority of Valentine's Day. Driving from various up and coming housing cul de sac's until I found the one that I liked. It was about twenty minutes from town and backed onto a national park so I wouldn't have to ever worry about some building popping up behind me. It was a fairly good sized lot at the end of the dead end road with only six other houses on the mile long road.

The weeks following finding the perfect spot was spent designing the perfect home. My entire family had plenty of suggestions when it came to the design of the home.

"Extra bedrooms for friends, family, or future children." Rose had insisted.

"Huge kitchen with big pantry was a must have." My mom had chimed in.

"Big bathroom with a huge walk-in shower. You can have a lot of fun in the shower if it's big enough." Emmett had put his two cents worth in.

My father's suggestion made the most sense. "If you have a separate entrance to an office space then you can get rid of the office space downtown and work from home easier."

With that being said I set my floorplan in stone. Four bedrooms. Three bathrooms. Huge kitchen with large walk-in pantry. Office area with separate entrance. Play room for Noah next to my office. Hardwood floors throughout. Music room for the piano I rarely used these days. I started picking out finishing touches the first week of March and I wasn't sure which was more stressful: finalizing the layout or the finishing touches. Hardwood floors throughout or carpet in certain areas? Cherry, Oak, Pine, or painted cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms? Granite or marble or concrete countertops? Chrome, brushed nickel, or bronze fixtures?

"I can't do this, anymore." I told my mom as I flopped onto her couch while Noah played in the floor beside me. "It's too much." I complained as I flung my arm over my head.

"It's your dream home, Edward. All this stress will be worth it when the house is complete in a few weeks." She said as she sunk to the floor beside the couch so she could play with my son and console me at the same time.

I rolled my head to look at her with begging eyes. "Can you do it?" I asked her in a whiny voice I hadn't used since I was a teenager trying to get my way.

"My tastes aren't the same as yours, son." She said patting me on the head like she had done when I was that teenager trying to get my way. "Want me to take Noah for a day so you get everything done? He can even spend the night with Nana and Poppy."

"I don't know, Ma, he's never…" I trailed off nervously because Noah and I had never spent a night apart from one another before. It's not that I didn't trust her because let's be realistic. She raised Emmett and I into responsible adults with little to no incidents.

"Do you not trust your own mother? The mother that rescued from the grips of your brother more times than once? The mother that came to get you at 3 in the morning the night of your senior prom because you were too drunk to drive and just wanted your own bed?

I shook my head as I cast a glance over at my own baby boy that was my reason for breathing these days. "It's not that, Ma. You are the best mother in the world if you ask me but I don't know how I will handle him not sleeping across the room from me."

"Maybe you could spend the evening taking advantage of that online dating service Rosalie told me she signed you up for." She said casting me a speculative glance over her shoulder.

"I'm gonna kill her. All I've come across so far are floozy's looking for a one night stand or their first question is asking if Noah is my nephew." I told her as I watched Noah grasp onto the edge of the coffee table and pull himself up. This was his latest physical achievement and it made me nearly come to tears when I first saw him do it because I knew that he was growing up and would soon become more independent.

My mom smiled at me. "You have to weed through all the trash to get to the good ones. Your other half is out there somewhere, Edward, and you will find her when the time is right." She said before standing up. "Now, I'm gonna go fix us some lunch."

Later that evening I sat on the couch with my iPad perusing the multiple photos of various ladies while Noah walked circles around the coffee table in front of me. I couldn't complain because he was keeping himself occupied and wearing himself out before bed. "Maybe I need to look outside of the state." I mumbled to myself as I changed my preferences to within 500 miles of my current location. The amount of new profiles that popped up was immediately overwhelming so I shut down the app as soon as Noah let out his first whine.

My phone started dinging a little after 8 the next morning with my contractor bugging me about making some final decisions for the house. Heaving a sigh I handed Noah some of his yogurt snack bites as I dialed my mom's number. "Hello son." She said cheerfully into the phone. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a call so early in the morning?"

"I want to take you up on your offer. I've got to get this stuff done today so my contractor doesn't quit on me."

"Great! Are you gonna bring him to me or shall I come get him?" She asked eagerly.

I chuckled into the phone as I headed to the bedroom to pick out Noah's clothes a day with his Nana. "I'll bring him to you because I have to meet the contractor at the house to go over samples of stuff." I told her as I grabbed a pair of his jeans, socks, and a cute long sleeved onesie and a hoodie jacket to go over it.

"Okay, I'll be here son."

My entire day was spent making decisions on everything from flooring to light fixtures to cabinet styles to cabinet knobs but once I walked back in my apartment a little after six that evening everything was decided on. I tossed the box of pizza I had picked up on my way home onto the counter before going to hop in the shower.

It was strange spending the evening without Noah but I did as my mom suggested. I perused the profiles that had popped up when I widened my search to within 500 miles of me. A few of the profiles caught my attention so I sent a few generic opening emails to them as icebreakers. One profile caught my particular interest so I decided to be a little more honest in my icebreaker email.

 **Icebreaker email:**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, March 4, 2012 7:42 PM**

 **Subject: Are you as nervous as I am?**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I love your picture! You have a lovely family, VirgoMama2_3G. Sorry but I am extremely nervous about getting involved in any way with someone over the internet. Not only am I nervous for myself but I have a little man that I am nervous for also because we have both been scorned in the past. I will leave it at that, I guess.**

 **Hope to hear back from you soon.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **GreenEyedDaddy2011 AKA Edward**

After sending that last email I tossed my iPad aside and called my mom to check in on Noah because I hadn't heard from her in a few hours. She picked up with a chuckle after just a few rings. "He's fine, Edward. We're just finishing up our nighttime bottle."

"Can I say goodnight?" I asked with a smile as I settled into the cushions of my couch.

"Of course. I will put you on speakerphone."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 (Bella)**

 **Taking chances**

 **March 2012**

After dismissing over a dozen flirts and icebreaking emails I was ready to give up on the online dating idea. "It's useless, Alice." I complained as I stood beside her as she snapped spring pictures of my girls.

"It's not useless, Bella. Just give it time." She said as she lowered herself to the ground.

"I have lost count of how many times I have been asked if the girls in my profile picture are my nieces or younger sisters." I complained as I helped her up off the ground. Alice had taken the picture at Mia's birthday celebration back in January. The picture was one of my favorites of us. It was taken as we all walked away from Alice holding hands while only I looked back at her over my shoulder.

"They're douche-bags but not every guy out there is like that. Just keep weeding through them. For now though get out there with our girls." She told me with a shove. We were taking our pictures in a field of wildflowers that were in full bloom. I was wearing my favorite blue jeans, brown leather knee boots, dark blue t-shirt, and a white infinity scarf. Molly was wearing a blue tunic top with white tights and sandals. Mia was wearing a frilly blue skirt with a white t-shirt while Maci was wearing a white lacy dress with a dark blue tights underneath since the blue clashed with her bright red curls.

Just as the photo session came to an end my phone dinged with another email alert causing me to groan. "Here, look at this and you will see what I mean." I said tossing the phone to Alice as I took over gathering up her stuff while she read the email on my phone.

"This one's not so bad. Said he loved your photo and that he has a little man of his own. He admits that he is nervous but overall this seems like a good one, Bella." She said handing me my phone as she held her hand out for Maci and Mia as we headed for the car.

Reading over the short icebreaker email caused me to smile. Finally someone who didn't ask if the kids in my picture were my nieces or cousins or little sisters. I had one guy ask me if my age was correct on my profile or if I had a child while a teenager, I immediately kicked that douchebag to the side and moved on to the next one. But this one seemed genuinely interested so I took a peek at his profile to see if I liked what I saw.

Never Married.

Has a child.

Single father.

CPA.

Lives in Tennessee.

32 years old.

Hmm…a bit older than me might be a nice change of pace because all the ones my age were still immature and just looking for a good time so I sent him a return email.

 **Return email:**

 **Date Sent: Monday, March 5, 2012 11:36 AM**

 **Subject: You don't seem nervous…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **To answer your question…yes I am extremely nervous. Like you I have children involved in this too if it ever goes to that point but my oldest is a bit more perceptive than yours probably. From the look of the profile picture your 'little man' is indeed little. My oldest has already commented about my phone dinging all the time with email alerts but for now I've brushed her off saying that it's work related. Not sure how long that fib will work considering she will be a teenager in a few weeks. This almost makes me cry…**

 **I am not going to pry…right now…on the fact that you and your son have been scorned but just know that you are not alone in this department. Though I am sure our stories are going to be widely different but the end result is all the same…single parents to beautiful children.**

 **How about we get to know one another? I have an idea that will help that along if you are game?**

 **VirgoMama2_3G AKA Bella**

After typing out the email I quickly followed after Alice and the girls so that we could go grab some lunch for the pregnant woman and cranky children.

"Did you actually respond to his email?" Alice asked as she grabbed another slice of her pizza. Sausage, black olives, and peppers were the flavors for today.

I nodded as I chewed my own slice of supreme pizza. "I did. He seemed sincere but I am still cautious."

She nodded her head in agreement. "I don't blame you but not every guy out there has a hidden motive, Bella. Everybody has seen how devoted you are to those girls but you have to do something for yourself also because when they leave the house what will you have then? Your job? A lazy ass dog? I refuse to let you become that woman." She said emphatically with a shake of her head.

The laugh that bubbled up out of me couldn't be stopped because she had just complimented me and then dogged on me in the same breathy rant. "I love you, Ali."

Once we got finished with lunch Alice dropped me and the girls back at our house where I carried a sleeping Maci to her bedroom. The very beautiful bedroom that the crazy kid refused to sleep in most nights since moving into this house. "Sleep tight, sweet girl." I whispered as I laid her down on her toddler bed that she was having a hard time adjusting to though she crawled out of her crib nearly every night to join either me in my bed or Molly in hers.

I walked out of Maci's room only to catch a glimpse of Mia curling up with Bubbles in her big girl bed. "You gonna take a nap sweetheart?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded before blowing me a kiss to which I smiled to and promptly returned. I found Molly in the living room playing with our rescue cat, Garfield, in the middle of the floor. The wild cat was chasing a piece of yarn that Molly was tugging all around the floor. Since all the kids were occupied I grabbed the book that I had been trying to read for the past few weeks and settled into the corner of the couch to read a few chapters.

"Mom?" Molly asked a little while later pulling me from my fantasy world I had been getting lost in.

"What's up?" I asked her laying the book across my lap. She looked down at her lap before pulling her lip between her teeth letting me know she was nervous about something. "Whatever it is Molly, you can tell me. We will talk about it, whatever it is." I reassured her.

She nodded before looking up at me. "It's about my birthday party in a few weeks." She said softly.

"What about it? You change your mind about going to the pool?" I asked because I had already booked and paid the deposit for the local indoor pool for half the day.

With a shake of her head she dashed that worry but something was still weighing heavily on her mind. "No, I still want to have it at the pool. I was just wondering if I could invite one more person." She said as she tugged her lip further into her mouth. A habit she had picked up from me because she didn't do it when I first took them in.

She had already invited 20 other kids and their parents to the party so I wasn't sure why this was making her so nervous. "You know I don't care, Molly. We just can't go over 60 people total. Who is this other person?" I asked, fearing my greatest fear was about to become a reality.

"His name is Dusty." She said ducking her head low so her long black hair covered her face from my view. I reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear as I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "He wants me to be his girlfriend but I told him I couldn't date until I was 13."

"Do you want to be his girlfriend?" I asked her softly as I raked my fingers through her beautifully thick hair that she got from Jake.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He's a really good friend and I don't want that to change. Chasity and Trevor were the best of friends since kindergarten and now they can't stand one another because they dated and broke up."

"I wished that I could give you the right answer here honey but all I can tell you is to follow your heart. After your birthday." I reminded her though it wasn't necessary.

She nodded. "Okay. Love you."

"Love you too sweetheart."

Almost two weeks had gone by and I still had no return response from Edward so I had chalked it up to him not really being interested. "Maybe he's just been busy, Bella. Don't give up so easily." Angela told me as we sat at a local coffee shop during our lunch break from the clinic. She still worked at the hospital but we met up for lunch when she was on days rotation. Besides Alice she was the only other adult I felt comfortable enough to divulge the fact that I had actually been interested in someone I met online.

"I understand being busy, Ang, but I still manage to return emails fairly promptly." I told her as I bit into my sandwich.

"Oh really? What about when Maci was keeping you up all night when she first started teething? I distinctly remember my email about her birthday party being ignored for almost a month until I said something in person." She reminded me kindly.

She had me there. I remember seeing the notification on my phone but simply swiped it away thinking I would come back to it in a few days but ended up forgetting all about it. "Yeah, well he's not here for me to remind him to respond or to ask if he got it." I told her, frustrated with online dating already.

"Okay, so maybe send him another email. Tell him you were worried and wanted to make sure he was okay. If you like him then it is only natural to be concerned when you don't hear from him when he sent you the first email." She told me with a kind smile.

Nodding I pulled out my phone and began doing just that.

 **Concerned email:**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 12:27 PM**

 **Subject: You alive?**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Not sure if you are not responding to my email for a reason or you have simply been too busy to respond. I know it may be a bit premature but I'm worried about your lack of response.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Your concerned friend Bella AKA VirgoMama2_3G**

Over a week had went by and I still hadn't received a response back from Edward so I just brushed it off as him truly not being interested and went about my life. I made plans for me and the kids for this summer. I had three weeks' worth of vacation time and was planning to use them this summer for a family vacation to the beach. As soon as Alice and Angela heard what I was planning they quickly jumped on the bandwagon and decided to join us.

After settling on the location of Biloxi, Mississippi I began searching for us a place to stay. We had all decided that we would spend seven days on the beach together before I took the girls to Disney World for a few days while everybody else had to head home.

I was so engrossed in searching for the perfect place within walking distance to the beach that when my phone dinged with an incoming email alert I nearly jumped off the bed. It was late and the kids were all in bed so the house was quiet making the sound echo off the walls and scare the bejeesus out of me. "Jesus." I said placing a hand over my racing heart as I reached for my phone that was laying on my nightstand.

I couldn't help but smile as I saw that the email was from Edward.

 **Return email:**

 **Date sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 10:27 p.m.**

 **Subject: Please accept my sincerest apologies…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I am so sorry it has taken me this long to get back to you but when you hear everything that has been going on hopefully you will forgive me. My darling adorable little boy decided that Daddy's phone belonged in the toilet so that is where he hid it from me at. Until almost ten o'clock at night. Once I got a new phone and all my stuff set back up, Mother Nature decided I needed a jolt of adrenaline in my life so she struck my office with lightening causing the building to catch fire. Luckily the fire didn't completely demolish the building but I have spent the past three weeks sorting through all of my files and contacting my customers while closing up that office for good and relocating it (twice).**

 **Finally, all the decision making I've had to suffer through for the past month has finally paid off because my new house/office is finished. Then it was time to move and let me tell you that you never realize how much stuff you have until you go to box it all up to haul across town.**

 **Now, back to your original email, I am interested in this idea you have to help us get to know one another though a lot of information about me is in my spiel above.**

 **What's this idea you have?**

 **I am in awe that you are concerned about my safety but I didn't mean to worry you. Life just got crazy. On top of all the above catastrophe's my little man celebrated his first birthday, fell and split his chin open on the coffee table, and I have been suffering from a spring/summer cold.**

 **Until later,**

 **Your very sorry friend Edward.**

Hmmm…seems like he has had a rough few weeks so I couldn't do anything other than forgive him for his lack of communication.

I quickly pulled up the reply screen to return his email.

 **Reply email:**

 **Date Sent: Tuesday, April 3, 2012 10:43 pm**

 **Subject: Hopefully things will calm down for you soon…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **That is a lot for one person to handle but at least you seem to have come through it all in one piece. Congratulations on surviving the first year of parenthood, losing your business office, and the new house/office.**

 **I understand what it is like to pack up and move across town. Me and my girls moved not long ago into a new house when my roommate/their aunt found out she was pregnant with her first baby. We had moved into that house from our college apartment when the girls came to live with me so that is when I first went through all my crap so this move wasn't so bad because you can't really accumulate that much stuff in a year's time.**

 **Okay, so my suggestion for us getting to know one another better is this.**

 **90 questions. 90 days. Then we decided where we go from there.**

 **We have to answer the questions we ask.**

 **You game?**

 **Your friend,**

 **Bella**

After sending the email I shut down my computer and headed for bed. I couldn't help but smile as I stood in the doorway to my bedroom. In the middle of my bed was my little bundle of joy with Bubbles snuggled in my blankets. "Oh Maci." I whispered to myself as I quietly slid into bed beside her pulling her into my chest as I settled onto the pillows.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 (Edward)**

 **April 2012**

 **Fresh start…irritating baggage**

Giving my mother free reign on Noah's nursery had been both a blessing and a curse. I ended up having to do nothing to the room besides put his crib and changing table back together but the room was too extravagant for my tastes. It was like walking into a forest wonderland. Every wall in the room was painted with trees, various animals, mushrooms, flowers, and a dirt path while the ceiling was painted to represent the sky with clouds. "Monk!" Noah called out as I lay him on the changing table to change him out of his pajamas.

I nodded at him as I changed his diaper. "Yep, that's a monkey." Potty training was going to be our next goal.

Once he was dressed in a pair of shorts, t-shirt, fresh diaper, and socks I scooped him up heading towards the kitchen to get him his morning bottle. "We've got to finish setting up the office today, buddy." I told him as I settled him into his high chair so I could fix us some breakfast.

We had been in the house for almost a week now and the office space was the last room in the house that needed to be unpacked and set to rights. After a simple breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs, and blueberries I got right to work while Noah played in the adjoining playroom. Halfway through organizing the filing cabinets my computer dinged with an email alert so I settled into my desk chair to see what it was. After dealing with the client email I spotted one from Bella that was sent last night so I quickly opened it to see what she had written.

90 questions in 90 days to decide if we wanted this to go further than just email? It didn't sound too bad except I was gonna have to come up with 45 get to know you questions.

 **Question 1/Day 1:**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 7:52 am**

 **Subject: Let the questions begin…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Think we can really get to know each other in 3 months' time?**

 **Thanks by the way for all the congratulations. It seems like it was just the other day that I was staring down at my newborn son for the very first time and now he wakes me up each morning by screaming "Da!" from his crib as he bangs it against the wall of his room. I haven't moved as much as you because the apartment that I lived in before building this house is the same one I moved into after leaving my parent's home after I finished college.**

 **I noticed you said 'when the girls came to live with me' in your last email and it made me curious. From the picture on the website I was guessing that the oldest girls is around 11 or 12 years old so I am gonna go out on a limb and say that they are your nieces instead of your biological daughters?**

 **Biology doesn't dictate whether you are a parent or not. My son's mother proved that to me the day she walked out of the hospital leaving him behind without a backwards glance.**

 **I will get off the heavy stuff for now and onto the first question…**

 **What's your favorite zoo animal? Why?**

 **My answer:**

 **Mine would happen to be the lion because they are social and protective of their 'family' and close friends.**

 **My little man's favorite animal happens to be monkey's these days. When we moved into this house my mom did his nursery in a forest wonderland kind of thing and a monkey is painted right above his changing table. He points at it and babbles about it every morning.**

 **Sorry this is kind of short and sweet but I have a busy day today so I am gonna have to leave it here.**

 **Hope to hear from you soon,**

 **Edward**

After sending the first question I delved head first into getting my office set up and functional before emailing all of my clients of the new location and business hours. Just because my office was in my home didn't mean I wanted to be working around the clock. The major change about relocating offices was the fact that Rose was no longer working with me, she had her hands full with their new foster daughter, Sophie.

The next day I decided to invite my mom over for lunch, as a thank you for helping me with Noah and getting the house set up. "Edward?" I heard her call out from the foyer.

I stepped out of Noah's room pulling the door shut behind me. "Back here, Ma." I called to her as I headed up the hallway where all the bedrooms were located. I had been adamant about the house being a single story instead of two because I didn't want to have to worry about Noah falling down the stairs. She was unloading boxes of Chinese food whenever I stepped into the kitchen. "What's this?" I asked her as I grabbed us two glasses from the cabinet along with bottles of water from the fridge.

"Lunch. Edible adult lunch." She said with a smirk handing me a container with kung pao chicken in it.

"Haha. Very funny." I told her as I tossed a piece of saucy chicken into my mouth.

About halfway through lunch my phone dinged with a new email alert. A quick glance told me that the email was from Bella and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Someone special?" My mom asked with a raised eyebrow.

I just shrugged my shoulders before locking my phone again, at least until she left. "Maybe."

"Is this someone from that online dating website Rose set you up with?" My mom asked before waiting patiently for me to figure out what all I wanted to divulge to her.

She had been using this tactic on me since I was a kid and it worked like a charm. Every single time. "I don't know much, Ma. We're getting to know each other but so far she seems like a nice sincere woman raising three little girls on her own." I explained with a heavy sigh.

"She's a single mom to three girls?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am. I can barely handle one much less three on my own. We are going to spend the next three months getting to know each other better before we decide what we want to do. I have Noah to think about just like she has her girls to think about."

"Hmm." My mom said with a nod of her head. "I wish you all the luck in the world, son. Just be cautious and careful." She said as she stood up taking her plate to the sink to rinse it off.

"Thanks, Ma."

As soon as my mom walked out the door I pulled my phone out to read the email Bella had sent me.

 **Question 2/Day 2**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 12:32 pm**

 **Subject: The zoo, huh?**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I don't have much time since I'm on my lunch break so let me start this off by answering your question.**

 **Favorite zoo animal?**

 **Hmm…sometimes I feel like my house is a zoo. My girls got a German Shepherd pup for Christmas and we rescued a stray cat in February and got a Guinea pig in March so we just very possibly may look like a zoo some days.**

 **I suppose the babies would be my favorite. Whether they be baby tigers, lions, monkeys, pandas, gorilla's, etc. If I had to pick just one I suppose it would have to be a koala bear. Not sure why but I just think they are so cute and friendly.**

 **Molly, my oldest, is fascinated with the birds. Parrots, flamingos, swans, etc.**

 **Mia, my middle child, loves the penguins.**

 **Maci, my baby, adores the frogs and lizards for some reason that is beyond me.**

 **Before I delve into your 'catch' of my 'slip' let me ask my question for the day.**

 **Do you have any brothers/sisters?**

 **Molly, who just turned 13, Mia who is 5, and Maci who will be 2 in October are my brother/sister in law's biological children. Maci is obviously not my brother's so therefore no biological relation to me but legally all three girls are mine. Jake, my brother, rather my half-brother has led a reckless life that recently landed him in prison causing him and his screw up of a wife to lose their children.**

 **I don't know what Maci looked like when she was first born but I do remember laying eyes on her just a few days past her ten week birthday and it still amazed me how much she has grown in the past year and a half. At least you had nine months to get used to the idea of being a parent. I had a mere few days from the time I got the phone call to having the girls in my care but I wouldn't change it for the world.**

 **While biologically I only have one half-brother, my best friend is more like a sister than just a friend so I consider myself lucky to have her in my life and on my side.**

 **Lunch is almost over, so I guess I will talk to you later.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Bella**

After reading her email I couldn't help but smile. She had shared the names of the most important people in her life along with some heartbreaking details. Before I could even think about starting a reply back to her I heard Noah start to stir through the baby monitor. I stood up heading down the hall pausing outside his door to wait for his 'call' to come get him.

He didn't disappoint either. "Da! Da!" He called out loudly just before his crib banged against the wall.

Poking my head in his door he grinned broadly at me before reaching his arms out for me. "There's my little man." I cooed to him as I picked him up out of the crib heading for the changing table. After he had a dry diaper on we headed for the kitchen where I grabbed a sippy cup for him and a bottle of water for me before heading outside to let him play in the grass for a little while.

I'm not sure how long we were outside before the peace was disturbed by the ringing of my phone. Without looking to see who was calling I answered it. "Hello?"

"YOU MOVED MY SON WITHOUT INFORMING ME!?" Tanya.

Sighing I sat up in the grass rolling the ball back to Noah as we had been doing for the past little bit. "For the last time HE'S NOT YOUR SON." I told her angrily. "I don't have to consult you with decisions concerning him, Tanya. You gave away those rights, remember?"

She sighed into the phone. "I never figured you to be vindictive, Edward. You are withholding our son from me out of spite for a mistake I now regret."

"You want to talk about being vindictive or doing something out of spite? What about all the money you spent on yourself while pregnant? My money! What about not even bothering to show up for the hearing over your parental rights? If anybody has a right to be angry it is MY son! MY son is the one that is losing out on a mother though I'm not sure what kind of a mother you would be considering your actions of the past year." I ranted which caused Noah to cock his head at me curiously because he wasn't used to hearing me get angry. "My son deserves more than a flaky woman who didn't want him when he was brand new in this world."

"I'm sorry, Edward. He does deserve more but you won't let me make up for my past mistakes." She said softly into the phone.

If I hadn't lived through all that I had lived through in the past year I would have believed her and possibly given her a second chance to be a mother to my son. "I can't let you in his life just to have you walk back out of it in a few months. He notices these things now, Tanya. It's just not a risk I am willing to take."

"Please Edward." She begged softly.

Releasing a breath I didn't realize I had been holding I decided to just confront her calmly. "Tanya, I am done with this. The calls, the harassment, the begging, everything. It has to stop. Today. My answer is no. You can come find him when he turns 18 and not a day before." I told her calmly and as rationally as possible. "This is the last time I will tell you this. If you contact me or a member of my family concerning my son then I will go to the cops and file for a restraining order."

"But.."

"No buts Tanya. Goodbye." I told her before hanging up and turning off my phone. "Ready, Noah!?" I called to my smiling little boy as I rolled the ball back to him.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the yard while silently praying that Tanya would take me seriously because I really didn't want to have to file a restraining order on her but I would if it came down to it. That night after Noah was down for the night I wrote Bella back.

 **Question 3/Day 3**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 5, 9:06 pm**

 **Subject: You are an amazing woman**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **While I don't even pretend to know the whole story, what you did for your nieces is absolutely amazing and wonderful and selfless. You talk about them like a natural parent would. While I had nine months to prepare and get used to the idea of having a little one I didn't ever plan to do it completely on my own. Noah's mother, Tanya, left her termination papers laying in the little plastic crib next to my sleeping newborn son. While I had to file the paperwork with the courts to make it legal and final she didn't reappear until he was almost 8 months old. To this very day, and I mean literally today, she keeps badgering me about seeing him and wanting to change her mistake of signing her rights away. I can't allow her anywhere near my son. She deserted him once and I can't allow her to do it again. Especially now that he has a good grasp on his surroundings and the people in his life.**

 **To answer your question…**

 **I have an older brother, Emmett. His wife, Rosalie, is like a sister to me. Rose has been a godsend to me, especially since Noah has been born. She single handedly ran my office for me while I tackled fatherhood firsthand. She and Emmett lost their three year old daughter to a brain tumor just six months before Noah was born so she constantly reminds me to take lots of pictures and videos and to cherish the small things. She chewed me a new one because I had waited to the last minute to buy Noah's Halloween costume. Apparently it is the simple things that I should be focusing on even though he won't remember anything from these first few years of his life when he's grown.**

 **My question for the day is…**

 **Do you find it hard being a single parent?**

 **I ask this because I find some days harder than others. Take today for example, Noah and I were having a chill day outside playing with the ball in the grass when his mother called begging once again to see him. I try to not let my anger at the situation cloud my judgement on what would be best for my son but it is difficult because I see what such an amazing child we created together and can't fathom ever walking away from him.**

 **Most days I don't let the hardships of being a single parent bother me but I will admit to wanting to pull my hair out some days. When I have a work deadline, which happens every four months because clients need quarterly reports, things can get stressful in our household but I do have the luxury of working from home. Not sure if that is a blessing or not because unlike people who drop their kids off at daycare or something I don't get uninterrupted time to complete my work. I have to do it around his schedule and needs.**

 **I can only imagine how much more difficult your situation is considering you have three kids while I only have one.**

 **I'm gonna head to bed because I have another one of those pesky deadlines looming over my head tomorrow.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Edward**

After hitting send I shut my computer down for the night before doing exactly as I had said I was going to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 (Bella)**

 **Pick your battles…**

My email to Edward on Friday was short and sweet because I was absolutely swamped at both work and home as I was helping Alice prepare for her baby shower that was the next day.

 **Date Sent: Friday, April 6, 2012 5:26 am**

 **Subject: Postponing…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I hate to do this but I think your question deserves much more than a rushed question so I am going to ask for a postponement until tomorrow. I WILL find the time somehow tomorrow but today and tonight are going to be hectic hectic for me.**

 **Gotta go get my cranky girls up and get them moving.**

 **Your frazzled friend,**

 **Bella**

I hadn't been lying when I said the day was going to be hectic nor was I lying when I said I was going to be frazzled. Taking the time to read Edward's short reply email had been the one bright spot to my day.

 **Date Sent: Friday, April 6, 2012 8:46 am**

 **Subject: Good luck!**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I am sorry that you are frazzled so early in the morning and are planning for a hectic day. Hopefully you come out of it alive. Your requested postponement is GRANTED!**

 **Looking forward to hearing from you tomorrow.**

 **Your worried friend,**

 **Edward**

Collapsing into bed that night at a quarter to ten I was sound asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

"Come on, girls! We're gonna be late!" I called out as I slipped the strap of my bag that contained anything and everything but the kitchen sink over my head. Today was the day for Alice and Jasper's baby shower and we were already running behind because Maci hadn't wanted to go to sleep for her nap so therefore had slept later than usual.

Maci came running out of her room with her sandals that I had put on her feet less than five minutes ago in her hands. "Mama shoes off!" She said holding the shoes up for me to see.

Shaking my head at her I knelt down to slip them on again knowing that as soon as she was in the car she would take them off again. "Why did you take them off?" I asked her as I slipped them back on her tiny feet.

"No like." She said with a shake of her head. "No good." She said frowning down at the shoes on her feet. This had been an ongoing battle for the past few weeks.

"Yes, shoes are good. You can't walk barefoot outside." I reminded her as I stood back up just as Mia and Molly came out of their rooms. "You two ready?" I asked them to which they both nodded. They had all been picking out one toy each to take to the shower with them. Molly held up her iPod while Mia held up her LeapPad she had gotten for Christmas and Maci held up her stuffed frog she treasured. "Great, let's go then." I said as I opened the door while grabbing Maci's hand.

"You're late." Alice accused when we pulled up to the civic center where we were holding the party.

I ignored her while I climbed from the car and began getting Maci out of her car seat while Molly helped Mia undo her seatbelt. Taking Maci's shoes from her I sat her on my hip as I grabbed the bag of decorations I had brought to help decorate the building for the baby shower. "Yes, Alice, punctuality tends to be a little flexible when kids become involved." I told her with an eye roll.

"Your eyes are gonna get stuck like that one day, Mom." Molly said as she walked past me with Mia trailing after her.

The laughter just bubbled out of me as I followed a giggling Alice through the front doors of the civic center. Alice had thrown me an impromptu shower a few days after I had brought the girls home but it was nothing like this. The entire place was done up in green, yellow, and blue since she was having a little boy, Jansen Joseph Whitlock or JJ for short.

While taking a small break from the party games I decided to re-read and return Edward's email.

 **Date Sent: Saturday, April 7, 2012 1:32pm**

 **Subject: I SURVIVED!**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I'm so sorry that I couldn't get to this yesterday but it was go go go go all day long yesterday. I didn't even have my lunch hour to respond because I was busy planning both a baby shower and an upcoming family vacation with my girls and my friends later this summer. So….without further ado…**

 **I've never known anything other than being a single parent to three little girls who suffered needlessly most of their lives until they came to live with me.**

 **It does get frustrating. For example, Maci has gotten it in her head that shoes are a bad thing and shouldn't be worn. Today after getting her dressed, shoes and all, I sent them to pick out a toy to take along with them and Maci comes back out with her shoes in one hand and her toy in the other. When I asked her why she took them off she that she didn't like them and they were no good.**

 **A daily struggle for my little family is my precious Mia talking. Something we all take for granted each and every day is something she seems to struggle with. She was born deaf and had a cochlear implant placed when she was just seven months old. She has the most angelic voice I have ever heard but she doesn't chatter needlessly like most little girls her age. Unlike my brother and his wife I don't force her to 'use her words' as my sister in law practically screamed at her when I took them for a visit last year.**

 **Each of my girls struggle in their own way as do I but at the end of the day we all love one another and that is what makes me get up each morning with a smile on my face.**

 **I am sitting here surrounded by boy colors as Alice, the best friend, calls them. Are all baby showers like this? I wouldn't know since Maci was already ten weeks old when I got to bring her home. This, by the way, is in no way shape or form my question for the day.**

 **I am sorry that you are having to struggle with Noah's mother but nobody knows what is best for you and your son but you. If you think it is best that she has no contact with him then that is what I would do. If you think it would be better for him to see her then all I would say is to tread carefully.**

 **Six months ago I took my girls to see Jake and Nessa because I got tired of the begging and pleading letters but I consulted Molly and let her make the decision for all of them. I was leery at best, as was Alice, but unlike you I had a pre-teen that could tell me what she wanted to do. It took less than five minutes for Molly to call her biological mother out on her bullshit and release the last of her pent up anger at the life they had drug her and her sisters through. I couldn't have been more proud of my girl in that moment but I will say that there will never be anymore contact between them and my girls until they turn 18 and can do so without me really being able to stop them.**

 **I say to make up for yesterday you get to ask an extra question to catch us back up.**

 **My question for the day is this…What is your favorite color?**

 **I can honestly tell you that blue, green, and yellow do not fall high on my list. Especially after being surrounded by them all day today.**

 **Not many people know this but emerald green is my favorite color following light pink. I know that is really specific but I don't like the typical hot pink or just normal green. Weird, I know but that's me.**

 **Take it or leave it.**

 **I'm being beckoned back to the party.**

 **Looking forward to your answer,**

 **Bella**

Alice absolutely racked up on the baby gifts but I think every woman in that room had tears in their eyes when Jasper walked in with a wooden cradle that he had been secretly working on for the last several weeks. I had known about it because he had gotten my girls to help him out with the special project. "It's beautiful, Jazz. I love it." I heard Alice cry into his shoulder. The cradle was a masterpiece that went perfectly with their nursery theme which was 'when the cow jumped over the moon'. It was in the shape of a quarter moon with little stars cut out on the sides and a little mobile that had a cow, a cat, a fiddle, a star, and a moon as the hanging pieces.

The party wound down not long after the gifts were handed out because Alice couldn't stop yawning and my girls were getting cranky. "I no like dis, Mama!" Maci cried out as I tried to slip her little shoes on her feet again so we could leave. This was about the tenth time I had caught her without her shoes on.

"You have got to get over this phobia of shoes, Maci. You have to wear them." I told her firmly.

She shook her head. "No, Mama, I no like dem." She cried pitifully as she kicked her shoes off again.

"Maci Isabella Swan, you stop this right now." I told her in my stern Mama voice.

She hit full meltdown mode then. Hysterical cries, tears and snot running down her face, flopping in the floor fit. I just sat back and shook my head at her before getting the other girls ready to go before attempting to go at Maci again. "Are you ready to cooperate now?" I asked her as she lay on the floor sniffling.

She shook her head at me before burying her head in her arms.

"Shall we do a timeout so that you can get ready?" I asked her as I held her shoes out for her to make her decision.

"Me no like tie outs, Mama." She cried flipping over to her back as she looked up at me with red cheeks and watery eyes.

I sat down on the floor beside her. "I don't like giving you time out's either but you get to either put your shoes on so we can go or you can go sit in time out first." I told her.

She sighed and placed her feet in my lap. "Shoes." She said pitifully.

Trying to hide my grin as I slipped her shoes on was hard but I think I managed pretty well. "Shall we go get some pizza and chicken for dinner?" I asked the girls as we headed out hand in hand.

"Yay yay yay yay!" They all cheered as they began skipping to the car.

Just as the girls settled into devouring their dinner my phone dinged with an incoming email but I knew that since I had enforced our dinner table as a technology free zone I couldn't see if the email was from Edward until we were all finished eating. "What's up with your phone dinging all the time? It used to not do that so much." Molly asked just before taking a huge bite of her pepperoni and pineapple pizza.

"I met a friend and we are trading emails." I explained vaguely hoping she would be satisfied with my answer.

She smiled at me before swallowing her food so she could take without her mouth full. "A guy friend? Where did you meet this friend?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her. "Who is the parent and who is the child in this situation?" I asked teasingly.

"Just curious, Mom. No need to get feisty." She said with a huge grin.

Tossing a fry at her I couldn't help but smile at her young carefree laughter that filled the room along with her sisters giggles. "I'll show you feisty, young lady." I told her as I tossed another fry at her. "And by the way it is a guy but we are just friends as of right now."

We settled back in to finish our dinner before the girls scampered away to go find their animals and I settled into the corner of the couch with my phone to read my email.

 **Date Sent: Saturday, April 7, 2012 7:12 pm**

 **Subject: My extra question**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I have to say that your mention of a family vacation made me want one too. Don't think my family has been on a true vacation in two years or more, since before Katie got sick. I'd say it's about time.**

 **On another thought…you wouldn't be tempted to tell me where you're going and when so I could crash it would you? Just an idea. Might be easier to meet away from either of our home turfs.**

 **Okay, I will quit sounding like a stalker now and get back to our original email.**

 **I am sorry to hear about Mia's struggle with talking which I would have to say that most people do take for granted. The thing about Maci's apparent distaste for shoes is hilarious. I nearly fell out of my desk chair when I read that part of the email. Can't help you there because Noah hasn't really fought me on any clothing options or anything besides his food. The kid loves his food and wants it when he wants it too.**

 **Thanks for the advice about Tanya and sharing your story about Molly confronting her birth parents. It helped me out a lot. I have decided to not let Tanya in his life until he is 18 but if he starts to ask about her when he's old enough to understand, like Molly is, then I may relent and let him seek her out if she is still interested. If she truly wants to be his mother then a few years shouldn't deter that feeling but right now my precious little boy doesn't deserve to be tarnished by her bullshit.**

 **Now onto answering your questions…**

 **First off, men were strictly banned from Tanya's baby shower and I later found out why. She had told all of her friends to buy for her instead of the baby because that was my job as his father. I should have known something was up when she decided to have it at the spa instead of some public space and she also refused to invite my mom and sister in law because 'they didn't like her' apparently.**

 **I did indeed buy everything my baby boy needed before he was born but my mom and sister in law threw me a baby shower anyways a few days after I brought Noah home because it turns out there were things I had no idea I would need. Bugger sucker. Medicine droppers. Forehead thermometer. 100 baby blankets. That's a slight exaggeration but I had only bought five or six blankets and I quickly learned that you could go through that many in just a few hours if your baby was sick or gave you a nice juicy diaper or you forget to place a diaper over his peepee when changing it. I guess you wouldn't know about that experience since you have all girls but let me tell you I quickly learned to keep it covered because the cold air affects his ability to pee with deadly aim.**

 **My favorite color is the blue of my son's eyes. They are the one thing that he truly inherited from his mother but I can't hold that against him. They are so expressive and the clearest blue you will ever see. The light up when he gets excited about something and I can't stop myself from getting excited right along with him.**

 **My extra question for the day is…**

 **Nickname? Who gave it to you?**

 **Eddie. I absolutely HATE it! Emmett calls me that when he's teasing me but Tanya calls me that thinking it's cute but let me tell you…it absolutely grates on my nerves to hear my name shortened to 'Eddie'. Saying 'Edward' is not that hard but I think you would be shocked at the people that will shorten it out of pure laziness.**

 **Hope you have a relaxed Sunday since your Friday and Saturday were so hectic.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Edward.**

I sat pondering his suggestion about meeting up while on vacation and was seriously considering it but I needed some outside advice so I called Angela.

"Hey Bella." She said after just a few rings.

I sighed into the phone. "I need some advice, Ang." There was no point in beating around the bush plus it was kind of getting late.

"About?"

"Edward and our vacation."

She laughed into the phone. "Not sure what those two things have to do with one another but please elaborate so I can give this much needed advice you called me for."

Leave it to Angela to be a smartass to calm my nerves. "Haha. Edward suggested crashing my vacation so that neither one of us is on home turf. What do you think?"

"I think he's a smart man. We're not going on vacation until the end of June, right?"

"Yep."

Twenty minutes later I decided to write Edward back and let him know about my decision.


	10. Chapter 10

**Massive chapter coming your way... after a quick note from me.**

 **I'm sorry that this is almost a week late but I have been off work for going on 3 weeks due to a work related injury. And...I am in the midst of my own *fairy tale* romance. So with that being said please forgive me as I attempt to make up for my tardiness with a fairly massive chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 (Edward)**

 **Email overload…**

Reading about Mia's struggle with talking made me realize that I never for a second thought that my precious baby boy could have been born with something wrong with him. I had just taken it for granted that he would be born healthy with no medical issues and I was lucky that it had happened that way considering Tanya's actions so soon after he was born.

To say that I was nervous sending that last email to Bella would be the understatement of the century. Suggesting that I crash her vacation as our first meeting had been a spur of the moment thing but I decided to go ahead and leave it in the email and just see where it got me.

About an hour after I sent the email my computer dinged with an incoming email alert. I smiled broadly as I pulled the email up on my screen.

 **Date Sent: Saturday, April 7, 2012 8:03 pm**

 **Subject: After consulting an outside person**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Just so you are aware me and my girls are not the only ones going on our family vacation. We are going to Biloxi, Mississippi for seven days starting June 16** **th** **before me and my girls will be driving to Disney World for a few days. So my suggestion would be this…come out to 'crash' our vacation on the 20** **th** **. That will give us a few days to meet each other and if you want then you and Noah could maybe join me and my girls at Disney World.**

 **Until then though may I make a revision suggestion to our daily questions/emails? My suggestion is this…instead of sticking to one question and one email per day we just respond when we can even it ends up being more than just one a day. You game?**

 **Nickname, huh? Bella is my nickname and I'm not sure who gave it to me first but it's what I've always been called unless I was in trouble. Isabella is my full first name but I rarely hear it these days since I don't have a close relationship with my parents. My friends will occasionally call me 'B' and of course there is 'Mom!' and 'Mama!' which I hear more than anything most days.**

 **My question for this email is…**

 **What's your favorite fast food chain?**

 **Today I took the girls by Papa John's Pizza to grab chicken strips and pizza for dinner since we had such a busy day at Alice's baby shower. It's an easy option when you have four different tastes to satisfy. Molly likes pineapple and pepperoni, Mia likes sausage with extra cheese, Maci likes ham with pineapple, while I like supreme.**

 **I'm not too big on eating or letting my girls eat fast food but it is a nice treat to not have to cook dinner after a busy day. During the week I will admit to living on slow cooker or crock pot meals for the most part because I can put it all together in the morning before I leave for work and set the timer so it is ready not long after we get home. For lunch during the work week I usually eat at a little café down the street from the clinic or will grab something off the taco truck that parks in the hospital parking lot.**

 **As for tomorrow I plan to have a chill out pajama day with my girls while we binge on Disney movies all day.**

 **That is how a Sunday should be spent.**

 **Let me know what you think of the revision and vacation idea.**

 **Your anxious friend,**

 **Bella**

I'm glad that we were on similar pages where the emails were concerned. Sometimes it took tremendous strength on my part to not get overly anxious in replying to her emails so that we didn't get ahead of ourselves.

Hoping that she wasn't in bed yet I decided to quickly respond to her email.

 **Date Sent: Saturday, April 7, 2012 8:26 pm**

 **Subject: Isabella, huh? I like it!**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I think I like your ideas. Both of them. Since I work for myself I don't see why I shouldn't be able to make those dates and meet you on the beach. I will research a place for me and the munchkin to stay, any suggestions? At least now I don't have to wait to reply to your emails which I have to tell you was difficult sometimes.**

 **I like your idea of how Sunday's should be spent but Noah and I have a standing dinner date with my mom and dad. It's a tradition since Emmett and I moved out when we started college and have continued ever since.**

 **To say that I am curious about why you don't have a relationship with either of your parents is an understatement but I will hold my curiosity for later. I couldn't imagine not having a close relationship with my parents, they've been my rock through many hard and trying times and that stands true to this very day.**

 **To answer your question…. White Castle.**

 **I am a sucker for those tiny burgers. They are so delicious that I am embarrassed about how many I can eat in one sitting.**

 **You and your girls have some very strange pizza combinations to say the least. I think your choice of supreme is the most normal out of all of them but I have to say that I am a meat lover's kind of guy.**

 **My question for the (day, email, moment…) is…**

 **When is your birthday?**

 **I ask this because I'm not sure if it is coincidence, fate, karma, or what but my birthday just happens to be June 20** **th** **.**

 **Seems like it will be a big event all around this year. I get to meet you and I will be turning 33 years old.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Edward.**

After sending the email I shut my computer down and headed for my shower. I was in the middle of a very important self-loving session when I heard my phone chime from my bedroom. "Damn she's quick and eager." I mumbled to myself as I twisted my hand back and forth causing my hips to buck as I spewed all over my shower wall.

I quickly toweled off before wrapping the towel around my waist as I rushed to my bedside table where my phone sat beside the video monitor that showed my precious boy sleeping soundly in his crib. "Sleep tight sweet boy." I mumbled to him as I picked up my phone to see if the email was from Bella.

It was.

 **Date Sent: Saturday, April 7, 2012 9:17 pm**

 **Subject: Are you sure?**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **We could always just meet up at Disney World so that you can stay in Tennessee and spend your birthday with your family. I hate to be the reason that they miss out on celebrating your birthday with you. I'm sure we will be anxious and eager to meet by then but a few more days won't make that much of a difference.**

 **Well since we know your birthday is coming up before mine my question is…**

 **What is the best gift ever given to you?**

 **This is a hard one since I left home at 18 and haven't been back since which coincides with the abrupt stop of gift receiving. I don't want to be cheesy and say my girls but when I look back on my whole entire life they are the best gift ever given to me although the circumstances weren't the best. As far as materialistic gifts I would have to say my first edition copy of Pride and Prejudice that Alice bought me when I graduated college. I'm a sucker for classic literature.**

 **To this day she refuses to tell me the exact amount she paid for it but she comes from money so it's not that big of a deal for her like it is me.**

 **I guess I put it off long enough….my birthday is September 23** **rd** **and I will be 30 years old.**

 **Goodnight Edward. Hope you have an easy and relaxed Sunday with Noah.**

 **Your friend,**

 **Bella**

After reading her email I tossed my towel towards the hamper and slid between the sheets of my king size bed. I was shocked to see that it was after eight o'clock when Noah's morning wake-up call echoed through the baby monitor. "Coming buddy. Please don't knock a hole in the wall." I called out to him as I tossed the blankets aside heading for the dresser for some bottoms. Ever since Noah started sleeping through the night I went back to my old sleeping habits which seldom involved clothes.

After I got my pajama bottoms tugged on I headed for the nursery directly across the hall from my bedroom. "Good morning, my sweet boy." I called out to him as I flipped his light on causing him to squint as he stood gripping the edge of his baby bed.

"DaDa! Out!" he called again reaching for me. I picked him up cuddling him to my chest as I headed for his changing table that he was about to outgrow. Instead of laying him down I sat him on the pad as I reached for a diaper and wipes underneath though I kept one hand on him at all times because my little daredevil wouldn't be too scared to jump off just to try it. "Hi, DaDa."

I chuckled as I tossed his diaper beside him on the changing pad. "Hi, Noah. Did you sleep good last night?" I asked him as I unbuttoned his pajamas slipping it off his shoulders before getting him to lay down.

He nodded at me as he reached for the diaper that was beside his head playing with it while I tugged him pajamas off along with the full diaper. "Bite?" He said handing me the diaper once I had him wiped clean.

"Yep, we're gonna go eat in a few minutes. Want some pancakes this morning?" I asked him as I scooped his diaper clad body into my arms as I tossed his clothes into his hamper and the diaper into the waste basket on my way out of the room.

"Yum yum's!" He said with a decisive shake of his head.

Chuckling at him I settled him into his high chair as I headed for the fridge to get him his 'yum yum's' to tide him over while I fixed us some pancakes. Any kind of fruit satisfied his 'yum yum' obsession temporarily. I quickly sliced a few blueberries and strawberries up before tossing them on his tray along with his morning bottle while I fixed some pancakes.

After breakfast Noah got his morning bath because as much as the boy loved his food he got it everywhere but I didn't want him dependent on me for food. Rose had told me that it was an important step for children to learn how to feed themselves so I had followed her advice. "Bub!" He called out cheerfully as I soaped up his hair getting the sticky whipped cream and pancake pieces out of his golden red hair that needed a haircut but I was holding off as long as I could.

"Yeah, bubbles." I told him as I ran a soapy hand over his hands transferring the bubbles from my hand to his causing him to cackle gleefully.

Bath times were always fun for Noah and I as we swam ships in and out of the water, played with bubbles, squirted each other with his little fish, and got clean. I remember the first time I ever gave him a bath in his tiny baby tub. It was traumatic for both of us. He screamed as I sat his little bottom in the warm water and I cried thinking I was hurting my week old baby but my mom had reassured me that it was just a different sensation that was frightening him.

Once he was dried off and dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, and socks we headed for the living room where I sat him down in front of his toys while I grabbed my iPad so I could reply to Bella's email from last night.

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 9:07 am**

 **Subject: ...this is kind of embarrassing…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I don't like to admit it to folks but I would have to say that my leather bound journals were my favorite gift. I got my first one on my fifteenth birthday. My parents get me a new one every year for my birthday so that I can continue writing things down instead of bottling them up. I was never a very talkative teenager/young adult until things just bubbled over and I exploded on people. My dad thought the journals would be a way for me to talk things over with myself. Some of the pages are filled with sketches and postcards and pictures I've printed off but mostly it's my life in my own words. I got the last one on my 30** **th** **birthday and the last post in it is Noah's very first sonogram picture and my feelings on becoming a father.**

 **I know I could've updated to typing things out (it is quicker and I'm fairly proficient on a computer) but like I told my sister in law…there is something therapeutic about putting pen to paper and writing your feelings out.**

 **That leads into my next question…**

 **If you could go back in time, what time period would you choose?**

 **The early 1900's. I love the way things were done back then. The romance of courting was done correctly back then. Things were also much simpler back in that day and age but I also like the conveniences that this day and age offers to me. Like the ability to read and reply to multiple emails from you in a single day instead of waiting months to get a letter. But there is something that is appealing to a hand written letter instead of a typed one.**

 **Also if we were still in the 1900's I highly doubt I would have ever known you existed since we live so far apart. So with that being said living in this century isn't so bad after all. LOL**

 **Hope you enjoy your relaxing Sunday…I am planning to stay in my pajama pants until I have to get ready to go to my Mom's later.**

 **-Edward**

After sending the email I slid into the floor to play with my little man who was banging away at the roll out piano pad I had bought him for Christmas.

Throughout the day Bella and I swapped several emails until I had to get ready to go to my parents for dinner.

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 10:19 am**

 **Subject: Interesting…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I'm glad you are enjoying a pj clad Sunday. That is how me and my girls typically spend our Sunday's unless we have important plans that can't be done on Saturday.**

 **You're a journaler, huh? That is nothing to be embarrassed about. If it helped you to deal with tough spots in your life then I'm glad that your parents were thoughtful enough to know that you needed that type of outlet. Molly draws. A lot! That girl has went through nine art pads in the past year alone. She was with me a little over a month when I noticed her doodles all over every scrap piece of paper in the house seemingly. I went out the next day and bought her the first of many art pads. I've never asked to see what she draws but she does show me on occasion and let me tell you that the girl has some talent. Jake could draw before the drugs took over and caused his hand to shake all the time.**

 **I've never really thought about living in another century but I love all the classic novels…Jane Austen most specially…so maybe living in that time would be interesting. But then again women were treated like possessions back then so that is a deterrent.**

 **Also, like you said if we lived back in those times we most likely would never know each other existed in our lifetimes so I think I will stick with 2012 and be happy about it!**

 **Let's change things up a bit here…**

 **Favorite Christmas movie?**

 **I ask this because Mia picked out Jingle All The Way as her movie choice of the day. I would have to say that Miracle on 34** **th** **Street is my all-time favorite Christmas movie. The 1947 classic is the best but the 1997 version isn't too bad either.**

 **Whenever I was a kid we watched It's a Wonderful Life every single year on Christmas Eve. I like the movie but I think I was worn out on it growing up because by the time I left home at 18 I had seen the movie 18 times and had it fairly well memorized.**

 **Till next time…**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 11:03 am**

 **Subject: Christmas in April…I like.**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Not sure if I have a favorite Christmas movie but as a kid Em and I always watched the Home Alone movies around Christmas time. My mom likes A Christmas Story but we were never required to watch a specific movie during the holidays.**

 **At least Molly has found a way to deal with all the things that has happened in her life. From what little you've told me it seems like the little girl had it hard before she came to live with you. It's good that you allow her to be the little girl that she wasn't allowed to be when she was with her bio parents. It sucks that your brother allowed the drugs to ruin his life because his daughters sound like amazing little girls and he is missing out on that. As a father myself I could never dream of doing anything to dampen the sparkle in my child's eyes.**

 **You keep referencing your childhood like that and I'm gonna come straight out and ask eventually. But for now I will skip to my next question…**

 **What did you want to be when you were a child?**

 **I always thought I would follow in my father's footsteps and become a doctor but I realized as a teenager (I broke my arm falling out of a tree) that it just wasn't in the cards for me. I was nauseated just at the sight of my arm bending at an awkward angle. That was when I realized that I absolutely loved numbers. Numbers are straightforward and never lie so that is why I became an accountant.**

 **Your turn,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 12:27 pm**

 **Subject: The dreaded question every parent fears…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I will tell you all about my childhood eventually but for now I will tell you that it wasn't all bad.**

 **Seeing my girls smile or hearing them laugh at something silly or having them snuggle in my arms is what I live for each and every day. I can't imagine putting these innocent little girls through the bs that Jake and Nessa did but what's done is done. I blame my parents for Jake not taking responsibility for his actions because they have babied him and supported him despite his addiction problems. This has been going on since he was 12 years old and got caught smoking weed in the school bathroom. Jake and Nessa had Molly when he was just 14 years old and Nessa was 15 because they had sex when they were drunk and forgot to use a condom.**

 **When I was a kid and a teenager I wanted to do something in the English field. Teaching? Editing? Writing? Not really sure just something along those lines which is why I have a minor in Creative Writing along with my Pediatric RN major.**

 **Is Santa real?! This is the question Mia just asked me. The little girl is too smart for her own good. Should I lie to her or tell her the truth? This is not counting as my question btw. I've deterred for now by us baking cookies.**

 **How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real? How did you find out?**

 **When I was seven and Jake was four we caught my dad pulling the presents out of the backseat and trunk of his car on Christmas Eve. Jake had been laying in his bed awake when he heard a loud bang and came rushing to my room saying he thought Santa was there early. We both rushed to the window and caught my dad unloading all of the wrapped presents while Sue (my stepmom and Jake's mom) helped him. I asked my dad about it the next day and he told me the truth…Santa wasn't real.**

 **-Bella**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 1:01 pm**

 **Subject: Umm…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I don't know what to tell you about that but…let me know what you choose and how it goes so I can be better prepared when Noah gets to that question. In the far distant future.**

 **Wow at how young they were. Babies having babies. At least the girls are in a good home now. I guess we can all be grateful for that. Think you could send me some of those cookies?**

 **Emmett told me Santa wasn't real when I was six and he was nine. He laughs about it now just like he did back then. I remember being so excited that the next day was Christmas and 'Santa' was coming! When I told Emmett that we had to get to bed early that night so Santa could start his job he laughed and just said "Santa's not real, Eddie. Dad puts the presents under the tree and Mom buys them." I ran crying to my mom begging her to tell me it wasn't true. Unfortunately she didn't lie to me like your dad didn't lie to you.**

 **You mentioned that you are a fan of the classic stories so what is your favorite book?**

 **Mine would happen to be a classic also… Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sallinger.**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 1:48 pm**

 **Subject: …went with the truth.**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **She isn't too heartbroken over learning that Santa wasn't real. I think the most painful thing was her asking me if she would still get presents. I told her that she would most definitely still be getting presents and she just nodded before going back to eating her cookies.**

 **I'm not sure they would be any good by the time they made it from Louisiana to Tennessee and I'm not willing to risk my cookies like that. Maybe you will get lucky when you come to Biloxi and the girls and I will whip up a batch. Maybe Noah could help too?**

 **Yes, Jake and Nessa were babies having babies. Our parents supported them 100% until they moved out when Jake was 17 and Molly was barely 3. Even after they moved out Sue and Charlie still sent them money regularly until they got arrested this last time and sentenced to prison. I'm sure they still send them money to the prison yet they can't 'afford' to come visit their granddaughters and me. It's a sore subject…sorry.**

 **Favorite books, huh? Do I have to just list one? How about top 5 favorites?**

 **1\. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen**

 **2\. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy**

 **3\. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert**

 **4\. Dollanganger Series by V.C. Andrews**

 **5\. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte**

 **I can talk about books all day long…just ask Angela and Alice.**

 **Electronic device or hardback book?**

 **While there is something about holding a hardback book in your hands while getting lost in another world, these days electronic devices are so much easier and cheaper a lot of the times. I have over 1000 books in my kindle but I also own more than that in hardback books. I have attached a photo of what the girls refer to as the 'wall of books'.**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012 2:37 pm**

 **Subject: Today has been fun**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedPapa2_3G**

 **I have immensely enjoyed being able to respond back and forth with you all day but now it is time to head to my parents. As soon as Noah wakes up from his nap. Aside from meal times I think nap time ranks as one of his favorite times ever. Though he does enjoy bath time too…**

 **Maybe he's just a happy baby.**

 **Wow that is a lot of books! I think that may rival my dad's collection that takes up an entire room in their house. It is a smallish room (maybe 10x10) that is lined floor to ceiling wall to wall with books of all types. I will show you one day…hopefully. In the middle of the room is a chaise lounge that my mom insisted on because she likes trashy romance novels and a quiet place to enjoy them. You may just like it too!**

 **I like holding a book in my hands too but like you it is easier to read on some electronic device. I have an iPad that has a kindle app on it. While I don't have near as many books as you I still have a fairly impressive collection of about 250 or so books on the app and probably another 150 or so in my office.**

 **Since I am heading to my mom's soon I think my next question is appropriate. How would you spend your ideal evening? Playing a game, visiting with friends/family, going to a movie, or reading a book?**

 **I think it depends on who you are with. Spending a quiet night at home with just me and Noah is just as much fun for me as spending an evening with my family. I think my ideal night, if I were in a relationship, would be spent at home with our kids doing whatever.**

 **Talk to you later,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012, 3:14 pm**

 **Subject: Have fun…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Your parents 'smallish room' sounds like a bookworm's heaven on earth.**

 **As for my ideal evening I'm like you it depends on the situation and circumstances. Having dinner with family sounds amazing to me but that may be because I don't get that option with my parents. My mom passed away when I was just 12 years old but we weren't close to begin with and I haven't spoken to my father and stepmother in over a year. And before that it was just courtesy phone calls once or twice a year to make sure I was still alive. They didn't agree with my decision to move all the way to Louisiana for college when they needed my help to raise Molly and help out with Jake. I left just a few days after my high school graduation and haven't been back since.**

 **With that being said…**

 **Where did you go to college at?**

 **I went to LSU all four and a half years of my college career and absolutely fell in love with the area. Let me tell you though…moving from Washington State to Louisiana was a culture shock to say the least. While I had taken French for two years in high school it didn't prepare me in the least for the Creole French people speak around here. The temperature was a huge adjustment too. I think I nearly froze Alice half to death the first summer I was here while I thought I would die from heat exhaustion. The bugs are another thing you have to get used to. Oh, and the sunshine. Where I'm from it rains or is cloudy more often than sunny outside.**

 **Have fun at your parents because I had fun today,**

 **Bella**

I wasn't able to reply to her last email because it was time to leave. "Come on, buddy. You ready to go see Nana and Papa?" I asked him as I strapped him into his car seat.

"Nana?" He asked with a broad smile, his eyes sparkling with his excitement.

I nodded at him. "Yeah and Aunt Rose will be there too along with your new little cousin, Sophie." I explained though I'm not certain he understood what I was trying to tell him he still nodded and clapped.

Pulling into my parents' driveway earned a squeal from Noah as he recognized where we were at. "Nana Nana Nana!" He chanted as he tugged and growled at his straps. I couldn't help but laugh at him as he continued to growl at the straps when he couldn't get them undone. Growling was his newest discovery and it was absolutely adorable.

"We're going, we're going. Have some patience, bud." I told him as I undid his straps lifting him into my arms only to have him wiggle wanting to be put down. Glancing down to make sure his laces were still tied I sat him on his feet just for him to take off towards my mom who stood in the doorway. "Well I love you too, son." I mumbled as I closed the car door before following after my son who was now getting lots of kisses from his Nana causing him to cackle uncontrollably.

I placed a kiss against the side of my mom's head as I slid past her and into the house.

We didn't get back home until almost eight that night and Noah had passed out in the 30 minute car ride home. Luckily my mom had given him a bath before we left having a good idea that he would fall asleep on the way home so now all I had to do was get him from the car to his bed without waking him up. Lucky for me he slept like the dead and never even mumbled, sighed, flopped, or batted an eye as I carried him gently to his room and placed him in his crib.

As I flopped onto my bed I pulled out my iPad and began to compose a return email to Bella.


	11. Chapter 11

**A big thank you to my reviewers who pointed out a few mistakes in this chapter! Hopefully I got them all. If not just review and let me know.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 (Bella)**

 **First disagreement**

The more emails Edward and I sent back and forth the more I liked him. I mean really liked him and was beginning to look forward to going to Mississippi. Too bad it wasn't for another two and a half months.

As I lay in bed that night thinking about the work week coming up my phone dinged with another email alert. I couldn't help but smile knowing that it was most likely Edward.

I wasn't disappointed.

 **Date Sent: Sunday, April 8, 2012, 9:07 pm**

 **Subject: on my thoughts**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Not sure if I told you or not but Em and Rose have decided to become foster parents since they can't have biological children anymore. They recently (a few weeks ago) took in a beautiful little 9 month old baby girl named Sophie and my son is enamored with her. So with them being our entertainment for the night I did indeed have fun (it didn't hurt that my mom is an amazing cook!).**

 **I can only imagine what a culture shock it would be moving from Washington State to Louisiana. Here you go giving me bread crumbs of details…**

 **Can you speak the native creole French language now that you have lived in Louisiana for 11 or so years? (not my question)**

 **Unlike you, I never left the state for college. I stayed right here in Knoxville and went to UTK (Uni of Ten. Knoxville) for my entire five years.**

 **Question (not my question either)…why 4 ½ years?**

 **My question is**

 **If you had to pick a second career what would it be?**

 **Sometimes it sucks having to answer our own questions because I honestly don't know what I would pick for a second career if I suddenly forgot how to figure up columns of numbers. LOL.**

 **I guess maybe a teacher/professor?**

 **I've never really thought about a second career until we got to talking about college. Unlike you I didn't minor in anything. It was straight business management and accounting classes the entire way.**

 **I remember in college we had to create a business plan for a fake business as part of our final project and I created mine on a coffee shop/bar. Odd combination but the way I planned it out on paper was that it would be a coffee shop during the day and a bar after hours. So maybe that would be an option if I ever get bored with my current path.**

 **Talk to you tomorrow, sweetheart.**

 **Edward**

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at the sweetheart bit but I couldn't bring myself to be mad at his presumptuous nickname. That night I went to sleep with a smile on my face and thoughts of the handsome man I had only seen in a single picture on the dating website that I hadn't visited since we started trading emails.

The next morning I sent him a short and quick email before I got out of bed and started my day.

 **Date Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 5:03 am**

 **Subject: Ugh….it's Monday again.**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I think the idea of your coffee shop/bar sounds a little wonky but unique and totally doable. It might actually work, you know, because it would attract all age groups and could be open round the clock pretty much.**

 **As for a second career, I guess if I ever lose the steadiness in my hands or something happens to force a career change I suppose being a teacher or writer would be my next dream. Or maybe a café owner since all of my friends, and now my kids, constantly tell me I am wasting my talents on them and should share them with the world.**

 **Anyways…. I absolutely despise Monday's. Especially Monday mornings. My girls are a terror to get roused up and out the door on Mondays and I am right there with them but the responsible adult in me makes me push myself and them to get over the Monday blues.**

 **We usually start our Monday mornings out with a wiggle jam….don't ask but it works.**

 **So my question is this…**

 **Are you a morning person?**

 **Just in case we ever spend a morning together know this….I am absolutely not a morning person. I slap my alarm clock probably five to ten times before I actually get up and out of bed.**

 **I have to be to work at eight and the girls have to be dropped off at daycare/school by 7:30 at the latest so I guess I better get this dreaded day started.**

 **Till the next email,**

 **Bella**

Over the course of that week Edward and I managed to swap a couple emails each day but I was forever grateful when Friday evening came along because my girls all had somewhere else to stay for the night and I was going to have a rare night alone. Molly was going to a friend's house, Mia was going to Angela's house, and Maci was going to spend the night with Alice while Jasper was making a delivery out of town. It had been a week from hell and I was ready for a break.

 **Date Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 8:47 am**

 **Subject: Mondays are evil!**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I am in complete agreement that Mondays should be banned from the week but then we would feel the same way on Tuesday so I guess it is a necessary evil.**

 **What do you consider being a morning person? Getting up at 4:30? Hell no. 5? Still no. My mornings don't usually start until 7 or later because thankfully my baby loves his sleep. He goes to bed at 8 and doesn't usually get up until 7 (at the earliest) and he's been sleeping through the night since he was five months old. Working for myself allows me to start my day whenever I get ready (unless I have a standing appointment which I typically don't make in the mornings) which leads to my next question before I get to work.**

 **What is your favorite thing about your career?**

 **Mine would have to be working for myself and pretty much being able to set my own hours. It has worked out well being a single parent to my beautiful little boy that is banging away on his roll out keyboard at the moment. Most meetings that I have are scheduled around his nap times and on the rare occasion if my mom or Rose can't watch him then he goes to a local daycare for a few hours.**

 **Got some work to do this morning since it is nearing the tax deadline and despite my urging them to some of my clients wait until the last week to file their taxes.**

 **Hope you have a good day at work sweetheart (hoping this doesn't offend or irritate you),**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 8:02 am**

 **Subject: hoping today goes better than yesterday**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_4G**

 **Let me tell you…I absolutely abhor Monday's now. I got a phone call at work around 1 yesterday saying that I needed to come to the elementary school for a conference because my child, my precious sweet little Mia, had slapped a little boy across the face.**

 **I thought they had the wrong kid but sure enough when I walked into the office of the elementary school there sat my shame faced little Mia sitting in a chair with her head hung and her feet swinging slowly beneath it. When the principal asked her why she had hit the little boy she had looked up at him and in a crystal clear voice said "He deserved it." I was flabbergasted because while I know the full story now I don't condone violence from my children at all. Knowing that there had to be more to the story and indeed there was. The little boy had apparently been picking on her for a few weeks now; pulling her beautiful waist length shiny black curls, poking her with his pencil, stealing her strawberry milk from her snack box, and most of all telling her that she was a bastard because I'm not her real mom. After hearing her tell me all of those things, with tears in her eyes mind you, I almost wanted to go slap the little boy myself.**

 **They still sent my precious defeated and distraught angel home for the rest of the day which caused her to break out into tears because she was gonna miss music time with her teacher and that was her favorite part of the day. I almost wanted to slap the principal when I had to console my sweet baby because she was being punished for being picked on. Needless to say I spent the rest of my afternoon talking to the superintendent while Alice took Mia out for ice cream and Chinese food and then to the park to play. Mia is no longer in that teacher's class nor is she in any activities with the little boy that had caused all the drama.**

 **After we got home I had to sit down with Mia and explain that she was in trouble for turning to violence when she should have spoken to me or her teacher or any grown up about what was going on with the little boy. She was heart-broken as I sat her in the corner for twenty minutes while I prepared our dinner and wiped my tears off my face as hers streamed down her flushed cheeks. Later that night as I read her a bedtime story I explained to her that just because I wasn't her biological mom didn't mean that I loved her any less. I told her that it actually meant that I loved her more because I chose to be her mom instead of having to because she came from me. Thankfully I got a few smiles and a giggle or two from her before she gave in for the night.**

 **Let me just tell you how lucky you are to have a baby that slept through the night at such a young age. I remember Molly didn't start sleeping through the night until she was almost 2 years old but that could've been because she kept Jake and Nessa's hours which were chaotic at best. I'm not sure about Mia's sleep habits at that age considering I only saw her five times from birth to the day I took custody of them. Maci still doesn't sleep through the night most nights and she'll be two this year. Before we started training to sleep in the toddler bed she was sleeping through the night but would be up by 6:30 every morning which worked because I had to get Molly and Mia to school. Now, she usually crawls into my bed around 2 or so where she will snooze until I wake her up in the morning.**

 **Believe it or not the kid took to potty training 20 times easier than sleeping in her toddler bed. Some nights I still put her in her baby bed just so she will sleep in her own bed and stay out of mine. THE KID IS A CRAZY SLEEPER!**

 **To answer your questions….there were a bunch that I think I have failed to answer.**

 **I had to take an exam that got me into a six month internship that allowed me to specialize in pediatric nursing.**

 **Yes, I can understand and speak most of the creole language spoken around here. You kind of have to when you work in the clinics and hospitals around here because most folks just mix creole and English together in a jumbled mixture.**

 **And no…being called sweetheart by you causes me to smile so no it doesn't bother me.**

 **Now onto the actual question…**

 **I worked at the New Orleans Children's Hospital for seven years before taking a position at the new clinic they opened up to take some of the weight off the ER. The kids. I absolutely adore working with kids.**

 **My question is this…**

 **What is your biggest fear?**

 **Getting taken advantage of. Simple and point blank. My heart is on my sleeve so please don't lead me on or take advantage of me or my situation (not that I think you are or will). If you have anything less than honorable intentions, please just be honest and bow out of this now before I get anymore attached or bring my kids into the fold.**

 **I better get to work since technically I have been writing this on the clock.**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 2:36 pm**

 **Subject: Can't stand bullies…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **What is the kids name that picked on that little girl? I cannot stand kids who bully others just to make themselves feel better. Give little Mia another hug from Noah and I, please?**

 **You didn't actually slap anybody did you? If you didn't you probably have more restraint than I do. Violence never solves anything. This is what my parents pounded (not literally) into mine and Em's heads growing up. I got the lesson while Emmett on the other hand didn't. He has been in so many fights and scuffles that we lost count years ago but Rose and then Katie settled him down. Rose would kick his ass from one side of their farm to the other and then make him sleep on the couch for a month if he so much comes home with a scratch on him that's not from hard work. It's really rather funny to see how much he lets her (and trust me when I say he willingly let's her) rough him up. She says that she better be the only person to ever lay a hand on him for the rest of their lives. It's not a bad thing though, you really just have to see it in action to understand the dynamics of their relationship.**

 **Thx for getting back to all of my questions…though I'm sure they would have come up again eventually. I absolutely have fallen in love with getting to know you. I know it's quick and scary but you have easily become the best part of my days aside from Noah of course.**

 **Let me clear a few things up for you….I in no way have anything less than honorable intentions where you and your girls (you guys are a packaged deal in my eyes) are concerned. I am not coming to Mississippi just to get laid, that would be one expensive lay, I am not even concerned about that part of this relationship. Right now all I am focused on is getting to know you and letting you get to know me.**

 **You know you are not the only one afraid of getting hurt here…I have been through hell with Noah's mother but I am still willing to take a chance on you. A lady I met through the internet and is just as scared as I am. I swear to you on my son's life that I have nothing but honorable intentions towards you. Please believe me. And to show you that I am not 'catfishing' you here is my ooVoo id so that we can video chat some time. EAMCullen1981. You can even friend me on Facebook…. the name is Edward A.M. Cullen.**

 **Now…my question…**

 **Favorite alcoholic drink?**

 **Because I think I need one after this email.**

 **I would have to go with beer, Bud Light specifically, because I am a lightweight considering I very rarely drink.**

 **Your honorable 'friend',**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 6:37pm**

 **Subject: I'm sorry…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Thank you for wanting to stand up for my sweet girl but she says she loves her new classroom and teacher. She's in there with one of her best friends.**

 **Relationship, huh? I am sorry that I let my fears get in the way of the good things in life, and that's what I consider you to be. A good thing that has come into my life unexpectedly. After letting Angela read both my email and yours she nearly tackled me out of my chair. She called me idiotic and stupid and scared and a dumbass for trying to scare you away. So needless to say she is fully 100% in your corner and not in mine though she has been MY friend for years and she's never even met you.**

 **Let me think on the video chat thing but you should have a friend's request waiting on your Facebook page…it's a huge first step for me. You are the first guy I've even talked to in this way since the girls came to live with me a year and a half ago.**

 **As for drinking…I used to love Long Island Iced Teas but now I usually sip on a Corona at cookouts and hangout nights with adults. Though that doesn't happen very often. Being a single parent tends to put a damper on the fun aspects of being an adult but I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.**

 **Now, I have been checking out Disney World online and making the reservations for me and the girls today on my lunch break so my question is this…rollercoasters, hate or love? Why?**

 **The only kind of rides I ever went on were at the local fair which let me tell you wasn't that big or extravagant. I was raised in a small rainy town in northern Washington where the local fair was in the next town over and had maybe 15 rides total. I'm just as excited about going to Disney World as my girls will be when they learn about it…it's an adult secret at the moment.**

 **I think I will like them but I can't be certain until I ride an actual rollercoaster at DW.**

 **Don't get mad or irritated but I booked us a suite at Animal Kingdom Resort. It has two separate bedrooms and bathrooms. Hope this wasn't too presumptuous of me but if it is then Molly can enjoy the extra bedroom and bathroom while the little girls sleep in my room. No biggie either way.**

 **Hope you have had a better week than me because I swear I am ready to go on vacation TOMORROW!**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 7:41am**

 **Subject: Wow…I know I say this a lot but…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **You blow me away, Isabella, you really do. You really want us to stay in a suite together? I know we won't be complete strangers by the time we get to Orlando but still… I KNOW that I'm not some crazy psycho or closeted dominant or anything but YOU don't know that! Though I do reassure you that I am anything but those things. Just a normal guy who loves numbers and his little boy and likes to take life day by day. Please at least let me pay for part of it? I already know without having ever been before that the prices are outrageous.**

 **I absolutely LOVE rollercoasters but I'm not sure how many we will get to ride considering the ages of our children. Maybe they have a baby sitting service so we can go have some fun for a few hours by ourselves? Does that make me a bad parent? I hope not but I've never been to DW either and I'm eager and excited to go.**

 **We usually go to the local fair as well as the state fair and let me tell you my big brother is nothing more than an oversized little kid because he drags me onto all of the rides there. Multiple times. Rose can't ride anything that flips, spins, or twirls her because she will be puking all over everybody. Emmett found that out the hard way just a few months after they first started dating because he didn't believe her.**

 **Do you collect anything?**

 **I do. Post cards and maps. While I am still in the same town that I was born and raised in we always take a family vacation for a few weeks during the summer, well at least we used to, and I collect a map and a post card from every place we ever went to.**

 **The collection really started to grown the summer I was 14. My mom wanted to do an RV trip across the country so in every state and every town we drove through I had to stop and get a post card and a map. I accumulated a whole bunch that summer but I still have each and every one of them along with little notes written on the back of the post cards from my mom. I probably have over 200 maps and close to 1000 post cards now. They are all boxed up and have been for years but I can't bring myself to throw them out because I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood collecting them almost to the point of obsession. I still add to them whenever I travel somewhere new but that isn't that often now. I went to Italy after high school and I actually have those maps framed and hanging on my office wall.**

 **I have to admit that I spent most of the evening creeping on your Facebook page. You are gorgeous by the way. You blow me away, just through a photograph on the internet. Your girls are absolutely beautiful too and all look to be so happy because they are smiling in every photo I saw of them. Can I ask where Maci gets the red hair from? It's obvious that Molly and Mia get theirs from Jake and Nessa but nowhere in your family is there anybody with red hair and that baby had brighter hair than Noah!**

 **Since I creeped on your profile I guess I can give you full permission to creep on mine too. LOL.**

 **Gotta get to work,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 12:09 pm**

 **Subject: Consider yourself creeped upon**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Absolutely not! It was my idea for you to join me and my girls in Orlando not yours so the room is all on me…plus it's part of the package deal I booked. I also took it upon myself to book us with a private sitter that will come to the bungalow and watch the kids while we go have some 'adult time' for a few hours. Fair warning, the package I booked is for all six of us and it also includes daily tickets to three amusement parks and a water park; Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Blizzard Beach. Before you offer to pay for the food and dinner a meal deal is included in the package also but I will agree to let you buy snacks and whatnot for the room and to pay for adventures outside of the park. Angela told me that this wasn't fair and that I shouldn't be so stubborn on demanding to pay for me and my girls all the time so that is my compromise. Accept?**

 **I have to say that Noah and Maci could be more brother/sister than my three girls just by the hair and eyes alone. He is an adorable little boy, Edward, and looks remarkably just like you. And I hate to stroke your ego but Angela and Alice both told me that they would jump your bones the first moment they see you if they weren't happily committed to the men in their lives. You are very handsome and obviously not slacking in the looks department or the eloquence department so the question they asked was "Why is he still single?" and I didn't know what to say besides that you had an idiot for a gf that didn't realize what she had (Tanya).**

 **As if the 'wall of books' wasn't enough of an indication as to what I collect! I was always a bookworm, even back in middle school, and once I got a book I didn't want to let it go. Going to the library was painful for me because I knew I had to return the books once I read them.**

 **Lunch is almost over so I guess I better get to my question.**

 **Do you like surprises? Yes or no? Why?**

 **No. No specific reason that I know of but I can't stand being surprised. I've gotten better at handling them though because I am constantly being surprised with my three girls and the friends that I have.**

 **Gotta run,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 2:36pm**

 **Subject: You are amazing**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Surprises don't bother me but I do prefer being the one doing the surprises so I guess it's a good thing you are getting better at accepting them.**

 **I cannot possibly let you pay for Noah and I's park passes and meal passes. It's not right, Isabella, even if you did invite us. I am the one that originally invited myself on your vacation to begin with. My mom would skin me alive if she ever found out that I allowed you to pay for a part of the trip to DW at all much less the entire thing. I was raised to be a gentleman and a gentleman does not allow the woman he is dating to pay for such an extravagant vacation. So no I do NOT accept your offer. Just know that I looked up how much one of those vacation packages costs and let me reassure you that you are under no circumstances shouldering the entire $8000 bill. Fight me on this and I will bring $5000 in cash and slip it into your suitcase before Noah and I leave to come back home. Now, I can put the money on a prepaid debit card and send it to you or I can send you a cashier's check or something but rest assured one way or another I will be paying for the majority of this vacation.**

 **I hope you are having an enjoyable day at work because today has been terrible for me. After dropping Noah at daycare for the day I have had client meetings one right after the other all day long. This is the part of my job that I could do without, I'm a numbers guy not a people's guy (if that makes sense).**

 **As for why I am still single I suppose it boils down to the simple fact that I just haven't met the right woman yet.**

 **Got another meeting scheduled in 10 minutes and I don't even have the file pulled yet so I better get to the question and then get going.**

 **What makes you angry?**

 **I was going to say stubborn women but that's just not true. It is true that I am a little frustrated and upset with you practically demanding to pay for our vacation to DW but rest assured that I am not angry.**

 **Lies. People lying to me makes me angry. It's not too hard to tell the truth and it always comes out eventually so why not just skip all the bs and tell the truth in the beginning. I don't get it but people lying absolutely drives me over the edge from irritated to angry.**

 **Thought anymore on the video chat?**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 5:07pm**

 **Subject: You wouldn't dare!**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **It's kind of inconsiderate to invite someone to join them at DW and then ask them to pay for part of it, don't you think?**

 **People taking advantage of my kindness is what makes me angry. This is why I haven't spoken to my father and stepmother in over a year and why I have no contact with Jake or Vanessa anymore. It's also why I tend to stick with my same few friends (Alice and Angela) and rarely go out. I didn't go out before the girls came to live with me so that much hasn't changed at all.**

 **I have thought about the video chat and it seems like I am going to be kid free on Friday night so how about we do it that night? I would rather keep my girls out of it right now because while Molly knows there is somebody she doesn't know the details or anything and for now I would like to keep it that way until we figure out where this is going and what is going to become of it.**

 **Win the lottery or work hard?**

 **I've been working since I was 15 years old (even held down a full time job in college) so hard work comes natural to me which is why I can afford to pay for this vacation without asking you to help. I'm not sure if I would change anything if I won the lottery beside maybe the balance in the girls' college funds.**

 **Gotta run…girls are demanding dinner and we're having tacos,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 6:47 pm**

 **Subject: You have got to be shitting me?!**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Are you really going to fight me on accepting the money? I will resort to sending it to Angela or Alice who I am sure I can find through your Facebook friends. Don't tempt me, Isabella, because I can be just as stubborn as you are being.**

 **My parents instilled in me at a very young age that hard work is an honorable thing and something to be proud of. I'm not sure the lottery would make much difference in my life seeing as how I got a decent amount from my trust fund (at age 23) which I put into the apartment I recently sold for a nice little profit. Money isn't an issue for me. I could retire today if I wanted to but I like what I do and see no reason to stop anytime soon. So with that spiel I would have to choose hard work over winning the lottery.**

 **Tacos sound really good by the way. Cookies and tacos.**

 **My question for the night is this…**

 **Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?**

 **You can fake looks but you cannot fake intelligence. Since your friends already think I'm hot and want to jump my bones (what about you?) and I know I am intelligent I'm not sure I have a problem here. But just to play the game I would trade looks for intelligence because being smart will get you further in life than your looks will. Like I said looks can be faked smarts cannot.**

 **Till next time,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 3:17 am**

 **Subject: The hits just keep coming**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **In case you are wondering why I am emailing you at three in the morning…Maci and I have been up and down all night because she has apparently caught some stomach bug from daycare. As a nurse I know what to do to treat her symptoms but as a mother I am scared to go to sleep because she is attempting to sweat off her sudden fever.**

 **So while she dozes in my bed I sit here next to her returning your email.**

 **I am in complete agreement when it comes to intelligence versus looks. I have never considered myself to be beautiful or sexy or fashionable despite being told so over and over by my friends. So with that being said I guess I'm pretty lucky that I'm fairly intelligent.**

 **As far as jumping your bones…I'm gonna keep that a secret for a little longer. Just know that it has been a REALLY long time for me and you are extremely sexy. And by admitting this it doesn't mean that I will jump your bones in Florida either but I would like to think that it means I have the strength to say no.**

 **If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?**

 **I don't know. I came to Louisiana because it was the farthest college from home that I got accepted to. After college I landed my dream job so I just stayed here. I know that eventually we need to discuss what is going to happen post Mississippi/Florida but I just don't know. If we decide to make a go of a formal relationship then one or both of us is going to have to relocate. We both just bought homes. We both have established careers though I think mine would probably be the easier of the two to relocate. We both have family in the areas we currently live in. My girls have friends in the area for the first time in their entire lives. You have established clients in your area. See what I'm saying? It seems impossible to make a decision on who will give up everything and relocate.**

 **With those thoughts now transferred from my head to yours I'm gonna try to catch a nap while Maci does. I will be spending the day at home with my sick little girl so I look forward to your return email.**

 **By the way…Angela and Alice wouldn't dare betray me like that.**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 8:49 am**

 **Subject: Sick babies are the worst**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I am so sorry that Maci is sick. I hope that she gets to feeling better soon.**

 **Those are a lot of thoughts you transferred there, sweetheart, but just know that you didn't really transfer anything because they have been on my mind too. Unfortunately, like you I don't know what the right decision here is. Just know that there is an absolutely amazing Children's Hospital with a corresponding clinic here in Knoxville. Also know this…I can do most of my business from anywhere as long as I have a computer with steady internet access. I usually only meet with most of my clients a maximum of six times a year so if we lived elsewhere I would need to fly back here for those face to face meetings. Plus, I can always find new clients. Just a few of my thoughts thrown in with yours.**

 **I don't think a location is as important as the happiness of the people around you is. I absolutely fell in love with Ireland when I spent a few weeks there before college so if I could pick anywhere in the world to live I would have to choose Ireland…maybe Italy (it was pretty cool too).**

 **Now let's change things up a bit here…**

 **What is your favorite flavor of starburst?**

 **Strange question I know but I feel like this is important. I prefer starbursts over chocolate any day so that's why this question is so important for me. LOL**

 **Any of the red flavors really though strawberry is my absolute favorite. They are constantly coming out with new flavors and while most of them are really good the classic strawberry remains my favorite.**

 **Are you really so sure about that? According to your email Angela doesn't seem to think it's fair either that you are paying for it all.**

 **Hope this brought a smile to your face, sweetheart.**

 **Till later,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 9:23 am**

 **Subject: NO WAY JOSE!**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Starbursts over chocolate? You have got to be crazy or non-human or something because there is no way in this world that starbursts are better than chocolate. I am a sucker for chocolate which is why I have to have a fierce control over the amount I eat because I would weigh 500 pounds if I didn't.**

 **If I had to choose a starburst flavor I would pick strawberry banana or watermelon.**

 **Maci is starting to feel better though she is just resting on the couch with her 'squishy' that she hasn't actively used in months. Speaking of children resorting to old systems of comfort…how do we plan to handle introducing all of our kids in Mississippi?**

 **Thanks for the interesting facts of Knoxville but I say this…let's see how we get along in person and see how our kiddos get along with one another before we go talking about relocating our entire lives. Just know that I am open to leaving Louisiana as long as I could visit often…**

 **My question for the moment is coming from the fact that we are watching The Smurfs at the moment.**

 **If you could be any Smurf which one would best describe you?**

 **Clumsy. For as long as I could remember I have what people call two left feet. Alice suggested yoga when we were in our sophomore year of college because I tripped over the rug in our living room breaking my ankle. I'm not sure if it's the yoga or just age that has improved my balance but I don't trip, stumble, or fall near as often as I used to. It's down to about once a week these days. LOL**

 **Till next time,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:53 am**

 **Subject: I LOVE the Smurfs!**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **I got 'conned' into going to the movies with Rose, Em, and Katie to watch the Smurfs when the very first movie came out and I loved it. If I had to pick one that best described me I suppose it would have to be brainy. I love learning new things and during high school and college I was always found with my nose stuck in a book diving head first into my studies.**

 **If you are open to leaving Louisiana then I suppose it's only fair that I be open to leaving Tennessee also. Which I am, beautiful, I am fully 100% open to leaving if it means that I get to be truly happy. My little man isn't going to be asking the tough questions like your girls will so maybe we spend one day without the kids to see if we get along before involving the kids. After that maybe we should just introduce ourselves as friends? I don't know, Bella. I've never done this sort of thing before.**

 **Letting my brainy/nerdy side come out a bit with this next question.**

 **What was your favorite subject in school?**

 **You would think that math was my favorite subject in school but believe it or not history was my favorite in high school with math coming in at a close second. In college my business accounting classes quickly became my favorite.**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 3:02**

 **Subject: Genius!**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **That is a brilliant plan and I'm almost certain that Angela and Alice will be more than willing to watch my girls for the day but what about Noah? Not that they wouldn't mind watching him too but they would be strangers to him.**

 **As if it's not obvious by this point…English was my favorite subject in school; high school and college.**

 **I don't have long since Maci and I are going to pick the girls up from school in just a few minutes but I had to write back before I left.**

 **What's your favorite family tradition?**

 **Since my dad and stepmom were so huge on 'traditions' while I was growing up I have slacked a lot on them now. We always get fireworks to celebrate Memorial Day, going to the marina on the fourth to watch fireworks, trick or treat on Halloween, huge dinner for Thanksgiving, spend Christmas in our pajamas, and watch the ball drop on TV for New Years.**

 **If my girls want to do something different then that's what we do. I'm not into forcing my kids to doing the same thing for each holiday.**

 **Gotta run,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 8:27 pm**

 **Subject: Sorry it took so long**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **My mom showed up just after lunch to see if I had any plans for the summer which I revealed our Mississippi plans plus the trip to Disney. (Do not think I haven't noticed you avoiding talking about the money thing. I haven't forgotten.)**

 **Needless to say she wants the family to join me for a 'few days of fun in the sun'. I told her I didn't know and that I would talk to you about it first since I am already intruding on your family vacation. This would also help with Noah, though my boy gets attached to women who pay him attention rather quickly so I'm sure he would be no problem with Angela or Alice.**

 **Well…we have family dinner every Sunday but it's no biggie if one of us has to miss it for some reason or another. Not sure if it's considered tradition more than habit now but we usually have a family bar-b-que or gathering at Rose and Emmett's or my parents place for all the holidays.**

 **I hope Maci feels better so that tomorrow goes back to normal though I have enjoyed chatting with you today.**

 **I will pose one last question for the evening…**

 **Restaurant or home cooked meal?**

 **Just so we are clear, restaurant food is not the same thing as fast food. I am a horrible cook. I keep trying simple recipes that my mom or Rose give me but something always goes wrong with it because they never taste the same as their version. So with my mom's surprise visit also came a few casserole dishes that I can freeze until I need them. I am good with breakfast though…sausage, bacon, bagels, pancakes, eggs, toast, etc. Thankfully Noah isn't too picky yet but I fear it is coming sooner than I would like.**

 **Family Sunday dinners are also another plus in this department because the leftovers usually find their way home with Noah and I. Restaurant meals aren't that bad but they are lacking something compared to the home cooked meals my mom prepares.**

 **Until tomorrow,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 5:12 am**

 **Subject: Back to normal**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **It seems like little Miss Maci is back to her normal self so she will be going back to daycare today while I head to work.**

 **I will admit to resorting to restaurant meals every once in a while, especially after a particularly rough day at work or a busy weekend. But most nights I actually cook but breakfast is a different story. Fruit, cereal, an occasional pop-tart, or breakfast sandwiches from the freezer find their way onto our table during the week.**

 **The money thing…again. How about this? We will discuss it in person in Mississippi? But please do not bring a huge lump sum of cash with you just so you can pay me back. I swear to you that it is not a huge deal for me. This is the first time I have ever dipped into my trust fund that I got from my mother. Last summer I didn't do anything extravagant with the girls, we just stuck close to home but with the way they have handled all the big changes that have been tossed their way over the past year they deserved a big summer vacation.**

 **Alice is picking Maci up from daycare, Molly is going home with her friend, and Angela is going to pick Mia up when she gets her little boy, Liam, so I will be getting home a little after 4. With that being said we can video chat any time after that. I set up an ooVoo account the other day so I wouldn't have to contend with that tonight. My username is IzzyMSwan. What time would be good for you?**

 **Do you exercise religiously or never?**

 **I can't help but notice that you are…ummm…very fit in your pictures so I am just wondering how it stays that way. **cue blushing****

 **Yoga. Not only does it help with balance issues but it is also a great form of exercise. I usually do it in the morning before the girls get up but if I miss a day I don't stress about it or anything.**

 **Speaking of…it's that time.**

 **Looking forward to putting a voice to a face and words,**

 **Bella**

 **Date Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012, 8:56 am**

 **Subject: An omen or not?**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Did you realize that today is Friday the 13** **th** **? I didn't until my idiot brother showed up at the ass crack of dawn this morning demanding to make sure Noah and I were okay because the grandfather clock that was Rose's grandma's suddenly began chiming last night around midnight and supposedly hasn't worked in over 20 years.**

 **I could literally kill him but it would devastate Rose and my mom if I did that plus I don't think prison is for me.**

 **As for your question of exercising religiously or never at all? I run and help my brother out on his ranch occasionally. When I lived in my apartment there was a gym downstairs that I would use a couple times a week for an hour or so but like you it was no biggie if I missed a day or so. Not intending to brag but when I designed this house I had a gym put in so that I could exercise whenever I wanted while Noah napped or was in bed for the night.**

 **My question is this (as if it's not obvious)…**

 **Are you superstitious?**

 **I'm not. To me all the superstitions are just old wives tales that people made up to make them feel important. Though some of the superstitions are just logic. For example, standing/walking under a ladder—just not a smart idea, breaking a mirror—still not a smart idea as glass is hard to get up, beginner's luck—folks pay closer attention to the actual rules of something whenever they are doing it for the first time, no umbrella's inside—who purposefully opens an umbrella unless it's raining?, picking change up off the ground—gross!**

 **Just so you are aware, we WILL be discussing this money phobia you have tonight when we chat online. How does 5 sound? Is that enough time for you to chill out before 'meeting' me for the first time?**

 **Till tonight,**

 **Edward**

 **Date Sent: Friday, April 13, 2012 12:27pm**

 **Subject: Sounds good to me**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **I didn't even realize it was Friday the 13** **th** **until I got to work and my co-worker, Lauren, pointed it out. As to your question I wouldn't say I'm superstitious but I do believe in some of the 'superstitions' if you want to call them that but I don't go out of my way for any of them. A four leaf clover is good luck. Three 6's in a row is bad luck.**

 **5 is fine for me. Since we are going to 'meet' tonight I am going to save my question for the next email.**

 **Looking forward to tonight,**

 **Bella**

That evening I left work and headed for Chef Lee's to grab some dinner so that I didn't have to cook since I didn't have the girls with me for the first time since we had moved into our house. As I was tugging the bag from the car my next door neighbor, James Hunter, called out to me causing me to bump my head against the frame of my car. "Ouch." I mumbled to myself as I turned to face the guy that sort of creeped me out. "Hi James." I said with a wave. "How is Victoria doing?" I asked politely since his wife had just given birth a few days ago to their first baby.

"Oh she's a trooper. She's doing fantastic as is the little one." He said with a smile that looked more forced than it should have.

I smiled and nodded. "That's great. I still have those clothes for her but they won't fit for another month or so. Tell her I said hi, would you?" I asked as I tugged my bags from the car, shutting the door and taking a step towards the house hoping to give him a hint that I didn't want to stand around chatting.

"I will do. Where are your girls tonight?" He asked almost leering at me across the tiny fence that separated my driveway from his yard.

"Out with family." I said vaguely, not wanting to let the creepy man know that I would be home alone all night long.

"That's great. You deserve to go out and have some fun without kids impeding on your time." He said with a wink before taking a step back. "I will let you get to it then. Later, Bella."

I waved at him before hurrying up onto my porch and into the safety of my home. Placing the Chinese containers on the counter I quickly headed for my bedroom so I could grab a quick shower before my 'date' with Edward at 5. After a quick run through in the shower I logged into my ooVoo account on my iPad while I was still clad in a towel with another one on my head. Once I was logged in and ready for his 'call' I tossed the iPad onto the bed so that I could finish getting dressed. I had slipped my tank top over my head dislodging my towel when the incoming call chimed from my bed. Quickly racing to accept the call I stomped my toe on the trunk that sits at the foot of my bed causing me to grab my foot and fall onto the bed just as my finger swiped the screen. "Bella? You okay?" I heard a sexy husky voice ask from the tablet as it lay beside me where I lay groaning while holding my foot hoping the pain would ease up.

I reached over propping the tablet up so I could see the screen. "I'm fine, just a clumsy moment." I told him as I sat up tossing my wet hair over my shoulder. "Hi, by the way." I said grinning at him as I propped my chin on my knee so I could still rub my toe.

"Hi. God, you are more gorgeous than your photos show." He said with a shake of his head sending his longish hair flopping back and forth. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah just my trunk was in the way of my eagerness to answer the 'call'." I said using air quotes around the word call.

"Trunk?" He asked curiously, his green eyes just shining. Instead of explaining I simply turned the camera towards the trunk. "Oh. Are you in your bedroom?"

Turning the camera back to me I nodded as I bit my lip. "Yeah, why?"

He chuckled as he leaned back in what looked to be an office chair. "Just didn't think we would make it that far on the first date. Summer vacation is looking even more promising now."


	12. Chapter 12

_**There has been some confusion about the jump in time from the last chapter so please make sure you have read the last two chapters. Fanfiction didn't send out new posting notification emails for the last two chapters I posted so please make sure that you have read them before reading this one. They contain a bunch of emails and general information.**_

 **Chapter 12 (Edward)**

 **Progress…**

The blush that spread over Bella's chest and cheeks caused me to grin and chuckle at her. It didn't take her long to sober up though and look at me with a raised eyebrow. "Speaking of summer vacation…" She said as she began moving through her house before settling at what looked like a kitchen island.

"What about it? You gonna bring the money up so soon into our first date?" I asked her as I grabbed my tablet heading for the living room so I could get comfortable for this conversation.

She just shrugged as she leaned forward fiddling with something before leaning back again. "Why not? You seem persistent in paying for the Disney portion of the trip while I am reluctant to take money from you."

"It's the right thing for me to do, Bella. It's not fair for you to pay for me and Noah when I am the one that practically invited us on your family vacation." I argued back.

She shook her head. "Just because you are the man in this relationship doesn't mean you have to pay for everything, Edward." She disappeared from view for a minute. "I have worked my ass off since I was 15 years old and this is the first big vacation I've ever planned. The life insurance money from my mom has never been touched and has been gaining interest since it went into the trust 17 years ago." She argued before suddenly popping back into view holding a fork in her hand. "Sorry, my neighbor caused me to forget my dinner so I hope you don't mind if I eat while we talk?"

I shook my head. "I don't mind at all, sweetheart. I can always call back after you get finished if you want?" I offered her.

She was the one to shake her head this time. "If you don't mind seeing me devour some Chinese food then I don't mind doing it in front of you while we discuss this money issue you have." She said cheekily before spearing a piece of chicken bringing it to her mouth.

"It's not a money issue, Isabella. It's about you allowing me to do what is right." I argued back with her. I never dreamed that we would have our first argument before our first date ever got going good but the comfort I felt with her allowed me to just go for it and argue my point.

With a mouthful of food she simply raised her eyebrow at me so I continued without her saying a word. "It's not about me being a man and wanting to pay for everything. It's more about the fact that I was the one that suggested crashing your vacation so therefore the expenses should be on me for me and Noah." I explained the best I could.

She nodded. "Part of that is true. You did suggest coming to crash my vacation in Mississippi but I invited you to Disney myself. Therefore I am paying for the whole thing. How about you pay for any dinners or activities before Disney?"

Sighing I settled into my recliner propping my tablet up on my knees. "You are very stubborn, Bella, but I guess you aren't going to give in so I will just concede on this one. But know this…anytime money is needed to pay for anything and we are together it will be on me. Deal?"

With a cheeky smile she nodded. "I knew you would see it my way eventually."

The conversation flowed seamlessly until I caught her yawning on the screen. "You're tired, sweetheart."

"I am but I don't want to let you go." She said with a shake of her head.

I knew how she felt because I didn't want to let her go either. "How about I give you my phone number so you can call me or text me. Hell we could even facetime though I haven't done that since before Katie passed away."

"That's better than me. I've never used facetime but that makes sense because I rarely use Facebook." She admitted around a yawn. "I won't fight you over the phone number like I did the money."

"You got your phone?" I asked her with a cheeky smile.

She shook her head and once again she began moving through her house. This time I recognized that she was back in her bedroom. "Back in the bedroom again, huh? Are you trying to tell me something, Isabella?" I teased as she glared at me.

"You only wish you could actually join me in my bedroom."

This time I shook my head. "Not yet, sweetheart. This relationship will not start out in the bedroom though your bed does look extremely inviting."

"Well aren't you ever the gentleman? I'm ready." She said turning her phone to show me she had my name and email entered into a blank contact form.

I chuckled and rattled off my number for her to put into her phone. "My momma raised me to be a gentleman and that is the only way I know how to be. You might as well get used to it."

She nodded. "I don't think it will be that hard to get used to." She said just as my phone dinged from my pocket with a new text. Pulling it out I smiled when I saw her short and sweet message.

 _Best first date ever!_

"I agree, sweetheart, but it is time to call it an end. I have to call Rose and check on Noah and you look like you are ready to crash."

She sighed before puckering her bottom lip out in a small pout. "Alright. Till next time then." She said with a smile.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." I told her just before disconnecting our very first video chat.

After a quick call to Rose to let her know that the video chat went fantastic and to make sure Noah wasn't giving her any trouble since she showed up earlier today to 'kidnap' him for the night. "Esme mentioned that you were going to join her on vacation in a few months." She said after a few minutes of me asking about Noah's day.

"I am. We are going to meet in person for the first time in Biloxi, Mississippi before going to Disney World for a few days with all the kids. We both agreed that it would be better to meet away from our home turfs though her friends are going to be there with her." I told her honestly, because she is the one that set all this in motion with the dating website.

"Isn't Esme joining you on vacation?" She snickered.

I sunk further down in my chair because while I hadn't told my mom yet I knew that I didn't want her joining me in Mississippi. "No, she's not. It is just going to be Noah and I."

"Mmhmm. Have you told her that yet?"

"No but I will on Sunday."

"Good luck with that." She said before hanging up the phone.

As I locked up and shut down the house for the night I sent Bella text. _Sweet dreams, sweetheart._

That day was the turning point in our relationship. Video chats, phone calls, emails, and texts became an everyday thing for us. Our kids even got involved in the phone calls and video chats. I had even gotten an email from Molly begging me to 'talk some sense' into her mom. I still smiled at that email.

 **Date Sent: Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:34 am**

 **Subject: It's Molly, I need your help!**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: Molly_Gurl_1999**

 **Mr. Edward, I need your help. I hate to ask but Mom is being unreasonable.**

 **Dusty, my boyfriend, has asked me to go to the movies with him and a few of our friends tomorrow night and Mom flat out told me No Way! It's not fair. I haven't done anything to make her not trust me so I don't see what the big deal is. She told me I had to wait until I was 13 to get a boyfriend and I did! But now she won't let me go do anything with him. It's not like we're going to see some bad movie, we're going to see Ice Age 4!**

 **Please talk some sense into her! Before tomorrow night, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!**

 **Thx, Molly Rayanne Swan**

That had been an interesting conversation to say the least but I had forwarded the email to Bella with the simple line of _Trust until the trust is broken._ Molly had been allowed to go to the movies that weekend with Dusty and four of their friends but Bella had done the driving to and from which was the compromise Molly and Bella had come up with. This also was the start of a good relationship between Molly and me because after that initial email we traded emails every couple of days. Some I shared with Bella and some I didn't but she knew Molly and I were emailing and supported it fully.

Today was a bit different though. Since I didn't wake up nearly as early as Bella did I always looked forward to her 'Good morning, handsome' text along with her question of the day but today something was wrong and I knew it as soon as I picked up my phone off the nightstand. There was no text, no missed call, no email, no nothing from Bella which immediately sent alarm bells off in my head. Without hesitating I called Bella's phone but it went straight to voicemail which caused me to groan in frustration but Noah's persistent calls for me caused me to tug on my pajama bottoms and pocket the phone for the moment.

"Daddy!" Noah called from his bedroom.

I quickly picked my bright eyed boy up out of his crib and headed for the bathroom. After we both did our morning routine in there we headed for the kitchen where I fixed a simple breakfast of oatmeal and eggs. While Noah was eating his breakfast I pulled my phone out to text Bella.

 _Baby, are you okay? The girls okay? I'm worried here!_

When I got no immediate response I finished my breakfast and started on my day. I was finishing up the last of my clients' quarterly reports which was tedious work and required my full attention. Settling Noah into his play area off my office I headed for my desk to power up my laptop. I was deeply engrossed in my world of numbers when an email alert chimed on my computer. Looking up I saw that it was from an ABC Designs with the subject line of URGENT! so I quickly opened it.

The email contained several pictures of a burned down house, a yard full of ambulances, fire trucks, and cop cars. Scrolling towards the bottom was a message that nearly caused my heart to stop in my chest.

 **Edward, this is Alice, Bella's best friend.**

 **You need to get to New Orleans ASAP!**

 **My best friend is being stubborn and is refusing to 'burden' you with her problems. I will just tell you now what has happened. Her house caught on fire late last night and is nearly demolished and definitely uninhabitable. I know you guys were planning to meet in a few weeks anyways in Mississippi but she needs you now. Everybody is fine, just shaken up, but the coming weeks are going to be rough for her as she sifts through what's left of the house and deals with the girls. My shoulder just isn't working this go round. Hope to see you soon!**

 **Alice**

Scrubbing my hands over my face I looked over at my smiling boy and couldn't help but smile at him. He was such a happy go lucky little boy that sometimes it amazed me that I had done it all on my own. Well if I am to be completely honest it wasn't all on my own because my family had been a tremendous help these past two years. It was that reflection that made me pick up the phone and call my mom.

"Hello son." She said into the phone instead of the stereotypical 'Hello?'.

Smiling I stood up and headed for the large window that overlooked the back of my property. "I need a favor. A huge one actually." I said not cutting around the bush about what my phone call was about.

"Name it and if it's possible it's yours. You know that." She said with a chuckle.

"Pack a bag and come to New Orleans with me?" I asked hesitantly.

"What happened?" She asked immediately.

Smiling to myself because my mom was always perceptive and supportive. "Bella's best friend, Alice, just emailed me informing me that Bella's house burned nearly to the ground last night. She said that everybody is shaken up but otherwise fine but that Bella needs me." I explained.

"Oh the poor thing. Didn't she just buy that house too?"

"Yep, at the first of the year. Will you come with me? I could use your help with Noah and also maybe to give Bella a mother figure to lean on." I said softly because with Bella's permission I had divulged a few things to my mom about her situation.

I could hear some shuffling around in the background so I assumed she was checking her work calendar. "I can't come today but I can meet you down there in two days time and stay for up to nine days. Will that work?"

"That's perfect, Ma. I love you." I said softly as I headed for Noah's play area to collect him for some lunch to keep him entertained while I packed us a bag.

"I love you too, son. Please be careful and call me when you get there."

"Of course."

Two hours after receiving the email from Alice I was stuffing three large suitcases into the back of my Volvo when my phone dinged with an incoming email alert.

 **Date Sent: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 1:38 pm**

 **Subject: Worst fear come true…**

 **Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Sender: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **This has been a day from hell. I am sure you have tried to contact me several times by now but unfortunately my phone is no longer in working order due to my house randomly catching on fire this morning around 3 o'clock. Thankfully the girls and I escaped without injury but my house isn't so lucky.**

 **I am in the process of getting things together but a phone was the least of my worries because my girls are terrified and worried. Fortunately, one of the firemen was nice enough to grab my charred safe from what used to be my entry closet so all of our important documents are smoke damaged but otherwise safe. I have spent the entire morning looking for a place for me and the girls to live until I can figure out what to do about the house.**

 **Alice told me that she emailed you but I wanted to tell you that you don't have to drop everything and come down here but unfortunately the Mississippi vacation is not going to happen because of this. We will figure something else out, I promise.**

 **I hate to cut this short but I'm heading to look at a house that Angela told me was for sale down the street from her house but the owners are willing to do a short term rental once Angela explained our situation. I do plan to get a phone as soon as I leave from looking at this house but for now we can email because thankfully I had left my laptop in the car last night so it was spared.**

 **Talk to you later, I promise,**

 **Bella**

"Dada go?" Noah asked as he walked up to me as I was loading the ice chest of our drinks and snacks into the passenger seat because instead of flying and having to rent a car for my stay I decided to just drive.

Scooping him up I 'ate' at his neck causing him to squeal and curl around my head as he laughed and slapped at my head. "Yes, I'm going. Do you want to go with me?" I asked him playfully because I had no intention of leaving him behind.

Noah quickly nodded as a huge smile lit up his face. "Yep!" He chirped with one last nod of his head.

"Good deal, little man, because you are about to experience your first long road trip." I told him as I tossed him over my shoulder heading back into the house with his laughter following us.

As I sat Noah up in his high chair for a early dinner I settled in at the table to send Bella an email back.

 **Date Sent: Tuesday June 5, 2012 2:29 pm**

 **Subject: Going to Mississippi without you doesn't seem right…**

 **Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G**

 **Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011**

 **Don't fret or try to stop me, Isabella. I am coming to you and will be there by noon tomorrow since I'm doing most of the driving today.**

 **I'm going to keep it simple because after my little cookie monster gets through eating his food we are going to hit the road.**

 **If you manage to get a phone this afternoon then please give me a call so I can hear your beautiful voice that I have missed beyond belief today.**

 **I am so glad that you and the girls escaped without injury, some people aren't so lucky.**

 **Edward**

I had no more sat my phone down when Noah called my name. "Dada gone!"

Smiling at him I grabbed the wipes and cleaned his face and hands before lifting him from the chair and setting him on his feet. "Go play for a minute, buddy, while I clean all of this up." I told him as I pulled his shirt off since it contained the evidence of his lunch.

After making quick work of the kitchen I grabbed the container of Noah's 'yum yum's' out of the fridge along with a few other snacks I had set out on the counter earlier. "Time to hit the road, dude. You need to pee before we go?" I asked Noah as I grabbed the clean shirt off the back of the couch shaking it at him.

"Yep!" he cheered as he raced towards the small half bath between my office and his playroom. Leaning in the bathroom doorway I watched as he pulled his shorts and pullup down before climbing up onto the toilet that I had his mini seat attached so he wouldn't fall in.

Once he was situated I gave the boy his privacy as I double checked the locks on my office door and the French doors leading to the back yard. "Done, dada!" Noah called from right behind me.

Turning around I smiled at him as I knelt down to his level. "All good? Hands washed? Toilet flushed?"

"Yep! Yep! Yep!" he said pumping his little fists excitedly.

I tugged the shirt over his little head making his hair even crazier. "Well what's the hold up then? Let's get on the road!" I told him and had to laugh as he raced for the garage.

 **Finally, things are going my way! I got the house and a new phone but with the same number!**

I couldn't help but smile at the text as I sat across the table from my sweet boy as he devoured his chicken nuggets and grapes. Instead of responding by text I called her because honestly, I needed to hear her voice. "Hello handsome." She practically purred into the phone.

"Hello beautiful. Congratulations on the house, by the way." I told her as I took a sip of my drink. We had stopped at McDonald's in some small town in Alabama to let my little boy get some dinner and work off some of his excess energy before hitting the road for a few more hours.

She chuckled into the phone. "Thanks. It's not my dream house like mine was but it will work at least until the girls get out of school. Maybe this was a sign…" She said trailing off before sighing heavily into the phone.

"A sign for what, baby?" I asked curiously as I pushed Noah's cup of apple juice towards him so he would take a drink.

"That maybe it's not meant for me to be in Louisiana." She mumbled so softly I almost didn't catch what she said but when I figured it out my eyebrows shot clear into my hairline.

She was talking about us and our future. "Just because your house burned doesn't mean you're not meant to be in Louisiana, baby. If this thing between us goes where we both hope it goes it still doesn't mean you aren't meant to be in Louisiana. We can deal with one of us relocating when we get to that point in our relationship." I told her but lately I had been picturing her and her three girls in my house that I had built to accommodate me and a future family.

"Molly has been checking out some art school in Tennessee online. I got the pamphlet in the mail the other day. I guess she has heard us talking about the future." She admitted softly.

I couldn't help but smile at her statement because it told me that her girls were open to moving to Tennessee. "It's called for Creative Arts or CCA for short. My mom graduated from there a really long time ago." I paused dragging the comment out

"Mhmm. Please tell me you are stopping somewhere for the night and not driving all the way through?" She asked changing the subject not so smoothly.

"We are. We're stopped in some town right off the interstate right now enjoying a fast food dinner of chicken nuggets and grapes." I told her as I watched Noah shove the last piece of his dinner into his mouth.

"Good. I'm gonna get off here, I am taking the girls shopping this afternoon to replace clothes and stuff." She said with a groan. We had talked a few times of her hatred of shopping but with three girls it was inevitable.

"Have fun with that one, baby. I'll see you some time tomorrow."

Once Noah was cleaned up from his dinner I took him into the play area and let him play for a little bit before we hit the road again. We didn't stop again until Tuscaloosa where we got a room to spend the night before finishing the last half of the trip in the morning. The next morning I woke up to my usual text message from Bella which made me smile.

 **Good morning, handsome. Hope you slept well last night. Looking forward to seeing you today.**

I could tell even through the text that she was still nervous about today and if I was being honest with myself I was too, a little bit.

 **Don't be so nervous, baby. Let's meet for lunch somewhere when I get there. Then we can see where things go from there. How does that sound?**

I tossed my phone onto the bed as I climbed from the bed gently so as to not wake my bed partner just yet. Noah grunted and his hand began grasping for me but I just rolled the blanket up and tucked it in beside him hoping it would work. His little fist gripped the rolled up blanket and sighed softly before settling back down to sleep some more.

Grabbing the menu off the small table in the corner I perused it before calling down for room service before grabbing my clothes and heading for the shower. I was just stepping from the shower when I heard a knock on the room door so I quickly wrapped a towel around my waist and headed for it before it woke Noah up. Peeking through the peephole I saw it was a young woman wearing a hotel room uniform with a rolling cart. Grabbing the knot that held my towel together I took a deep breath and opened the door trying to stay behind the door. "Good morning, sir. I have your requested breakfast." She said politely as she rolled the cart into the room. When she turned around she saw what little I was wearing and gasped as her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry." She muttered as she slapped her hand over her eyes.

I chuckled at her. "It's fine, you caught me just as I was getting out of the shower. Thank you for bringing our breakfast." I told her politely as I held the door open wider for her since she had her eyes covered.

"You're welcome. Sorry again." She mumbled as she walked out the door.

I chuckled as I shut the door and headed for my pile of clothes on the counter. Once I was dressed in my cargo shorts I tossed my t-shirt over the back of the chair because Noah was a very messy eater and we didn't have his high chair with us so he would end up in my lap. I smiled down at my snoozing little one and marveled at how much he had grown since the day I brought him home from the hospital a little over a year ago. "Noah, buddy, it's time to wake up." I told him softly as I ran my fingers through his thin hair on top of his head.

He blinked his open slowly, almost exaggeratedly. "No." He muttered as he rolled over away from me.

I laughed at him. "Yes. We have to go see B and Miss Maci today." I told him as I flipped the blankets off of him causing him to turn and glare at me.

"No, Dada. Sweep more." He argued as he continued to glare at me.

Shaking my head at him I scooped him up off the bed. "You can sleep once we get back on the road, buddy. We gotta get this day started." I explained to him as I carried him to the bathroom.

He scowled at me as I helped him sit on his toilet to do his morning business. While he wore a thin pull-up at night and a few other occasions, we tried to keep them clean and dry. I was pleased to see that his pull-up was still dry. "Go 'way." He said as he folded his arms across his chest.

I chuckled at him and stepped out of his way. He wasn't the typical toddler who wanted an audience when using the bathroom, he wanted privacy. My mom said I was the same way, that I wouldn't use the bathroom while she was in there with me once I figured out what I was supposed to do. "Call me when you get done and I'll help you wash your hands." I told my pouting little boy.

"Otay." He said with a nod, his glare firm on his face.

With a smile and soft chuckle I headed for my phone because it had dinged with a text notification while I was waking Noah up.

 **Think Noah will have some extra energy when you guys get here or want a nap?**

 **He's pouting right now because I woke him up before he was ready so he should nap in the car and be ready to run around for a bit once we get somewhere. Why?**

"Dada!" Noah called from the bathroom so I tossed my phone onto the bed to go help my upset little boy.

When I walked into the bathroom Noah was still sitting on his potty but had pulled his pull-up and pajama bottoms up. "All finished?" I asked as I scooped him up into my arms.

He laid his head on my shoulder and nodded. I held him while he washed his hands but sat him on the counter top as I washed his little face to help wake him up. "Are you awake enough to eat or you want to wait?" I asked as I picked him back up.

"Eat." He mumbled as he wrapped his arms around my neck as I carried us back into the room. I settled into the chair beside the tray that contained our breakfast with Noah in my lap. I tore up a piece of sausage and handed it to him.

While I hand fed him tiny bites of breakfast I also managed to feed myself and text with Bella.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Several people mentioned that they didn't realize things had moved so far so quickly but I will say once again that there were two chapters (10 and 11) that didn't send notifications out so if you are lost in the story please be sure to read those chapters as there is a lot of information in there. Otherwise just enjoy the new chapter!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 13 (Bella)**

 **Who knew picking out sheets could be so hot?**

Tossing the turquoise and hot pink towels into the buggy I growled in frustration at the fact that my pixie of a friend was more interested in her phone than helping me replace all the little things I had lost along with my house. "I thought you came to help? Not play on your phone!" I snapped as I walked past her with the buggy and Maci leaving her and her empty buggy aside from JJ.

"Mama?" Maci asked as I turned us down the sheet and comforter aisle.

I smiled down at her. "I'm okay, I just really don't like shopping. You want to pick your new bedding out?" I asked as I scooped her from the buggy.

She nodded enthusiastically as I placed her on her feet in front of the toddler bedding. I couldn't help but chuckle at her fierce expression on her face. "I'm gonna go get Molly and Mia's okay? I'll be right down there." I told her as I pointed further down the aisle.

Without ever turning to look at me she nodded as she concentrated on the pictures in front of her. Molly and Mia both showed me online what they wanted for their bedding and bedroom theme in general so I just had to find what they showed me. I found the multi-color chevron striped comforter set that Molly had showed me last night fairly quickly but the multi-color polka dot one that Mia wanted was proving to be difficult. I didn't think to get second choices so I was going to have a very upset little girl on my hands this afternoon or an upset store clerk because I wasn't leaving here without that comforter set. Heaving a heavy sigh I decided to pick one for myself instead of stressing over Mia's choice in covers.

I found the same white duvet that I had been using for years and quickly pulled it off the shelf along with a white duvet cover and a purple quilt to toss over the foot of the bed. I nearly cheered when I spotted the comforter that Mia wanted behind the duvet. Dragging all three bags to the cart I checked in on Maci's progress because she was now sat in the floor tapping her finger on her chin. "Having problems, Maci girl?" I asked as I squatted behind her.

She sighed and nodded. "I wike dis one." She said pointing to a pink and purple Doc McStuffin's set before shaking her head and pointing to a light blue one of Frozen. "An dis one too."

I laughed as I kissed the top of her head. "How about we get Frozen for today and we can come back for Doc in a few weeks?" I suggested pointing to each.

"Weally?" She asked wide eyed.

Nodding I kissed the top of her curls before grabbing the bag and standing up. When I turned around I came face to face with a face I had only seen through a computer screen. "That was some smooth negotiating skills there, sweetheart." Edward said as he shifted Noah on his hip.

I rolled my eyes at him as I tossed the bag into the buggy. "Not really considering she's going to end up with both of them anyways." I told him as I walked over to him. When I was just a few inches away from him I looked up into his beautiful green eyes and whispered. "Hi."

He smiled down at me as he set Noah on his feet. "Don't leave the aisle but go say hi to Maci." He told him before standing up straight and stepping closer to me so that when we both breathed deeply our chests touched. "Hi." He whispered as he cupped my face in his hands tugging me closer. "I came a helluva long way for this…" He whispered before pressing his lips against mine.

It was a relatively tame kiss considering our kids were with us and we were in the middle of a fairly busy store. "Was the drive worth it?" I asked as I placed my hands on his chest while our foreheads were pressed together.

"Every mile." He whispered before placing another gentle kiss on my lips before pulling away. "You can thank Alice for this little surprise." He said with a wink as said best friend worked her way onto our aisle.

I smiled contritely over at her and she just nodded and smiled back at me. Without a word spoken between us all was forgiven. "What's next?" She asked as she pulled out her ever present list.

"Kitchen stuff." I said with a groan while Edward and Alice chuckled.

An hour and a half after Edward surprised me in the aisle he surprised me again when we were in the checkout line. "I've got this." Edward said as he pulled his credit card from his wallet.

"No, you don't." I said shoving him out of the way with my hip.

"Please let me do this for you." He whispered softly into my ear.

Looking up at him I shook my head. "I can't do that, Edward. That's over two thousand dollars, Edward." I argued with my hands on my hips.

"Payback, baby, payback." He said smugly as he reached up and swiped his card through the machine.

I scowled at him as he accepted the charge of all my household items I had bought today. "Mama?" Maci called me as she sat in one of the carts.

"What's up, pretty girl?" I asked running my fingers through her beautiful red curls.

"Hungy." She said as she looked up at me with sleepy eyes. "Sweepy."

"I know, baby girl. We're gonna go to the house for lunch and a nap, okay?" I reassured her.

"I'm so thankful you're here." I told Edward as I sat in the middle of my kitchen floor putting away the kitchen supplies. The kids were napping on pallets of new blankets in what was going to be Maci's room. "Though I don't really like that you paid for everything this morning." I said with a playful scowl pointed in his direction as he broke down the boxes I was unpacking.

He just laughed at me and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't like that you were so adamant about paying for Disney World but you still done it."

In all the chaos of the past few days I had forgotten all about our already paid for trip to Disney World. "Oh no." I whispered as I fished my new phone out of my pocket. Within 2 minutes I groaned in frustration because of what I found on the website. "The tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. That's over six thousand dollars down the drain if we don't go." I groaned laying back onto the floor with my hands over my eyes as I wallowed in my frustrations for a minute.

"Then I guess we should go." Edward said causing me to snap my eyes open and sitting back up straight.

"Are you crazy? With everything going on right now you want to go on vacation for a week?" I asked just to make sure I hadn't misunderstood him. "Did the two day road trip cause you to loose some brain cells?"

He just laughed as he stood up next to me holding his hands down for me. "Come here." He requested softly. I couldn't deny him anything so I placed my hands in his and allowed him to pull me to my feet and into his chest. "If anything that two day road trip made things clearer for me. I am here to help you with whatever you need help with and I have a surprise coming for you tomorrow." He told me as he placed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"You paying for all of this today was surprise enough for me, handsome." I told him honestly as I took a deep breath of him, almost trying to memorize his smell for when he wasn't here in person.

He shook his head. "Sorry, this next surprise didn't cost me anything at all. I promise."

"What is it then?" I asked pulling back a little bit so I could look him in the eyes.

"My mom." He mumbled nervously.

My eyes widened as I registered what he had said. His mother was coming in a few days and my house was a disaster with no furniture. Though the furniture issue would be solved as soon as the kids woke up. "Your mother?!" I said pushing away from him so I could pace the small space of my kitchen. "We just met today in person and now you want me to meet your mom tomorrow?" I rambled as I drug my hands through my hair nervously.

He laughed at my antics before snagging me around the waist and pulling me back to his chest. "It will be fine, baby. I promise. When my office burned down the following two weeks were so hectic I could barely find time to eat and shower so I can only imagine this is going to be worse. My mom is coming to help, both you and me." He explained as he hugged me tightly against his chest.

"I forgot all about your office." I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist hugging myself to him tightly. "So, I guess I'm meeting your mom tomorrow." I mumbled into his chest before looking up at him. "I'm going to need a damn good kiss to make that less stressful." I whispered as I slid my hands up his back.

He slid his hands down to my hips before winking at me as he slid his hands down to cup my butt that the shorts I had on emphasized according to Alice earlier this morning. "This may cause a different type of stress." He said cheekily as he suddenly closed his hands around my butt, picking me up off my feet causing me to squeal and tighten my limbs around his body as he walked us toward the kitchen counter. "You ready?" He asked softly as his eyes bounced from my lips to my eyes.

I nodded as I slid my fingers into his hair. "Are you?" I whispered as I tightened my fingers in his locks causing his eyes to darken and a hiss to leave his lips as he sat me on the countertop. Needless to say, all of our emails exchanged hadn't remained completely innocent.

Without another word, he smashed his lips to mine as his hands tightened on my hips. The kiss was absolutely amazing but as he had warned a different type of stress became a problem when a little voice echoed through the baby monitor we had set on the counter. "Dada?"

Edward groaned as he pulled his lips from mine. "He's nervous cause he's in a strange place." He explained before placing a kiss to my forehead as he stepped back away from me. Giving me a longing glance he adjusted his shorts before disappearing down the hallway as I cracked up on the countertop until I heard Edward's voice come through the baby monitor.

"It's okay, buddy, I'm right here."

An hour after Noah woke up the four of us were heading for a second-hand store for some furniture. I was going to buy the beds and couches brand new but the dressers and tables could be bought used. "I still need a hotel to stay in tonight and times ticking away so what do you suggest?" Edward asked as he took a drink of water while we sat at a red light.

"You don't need one. I figured you could stay with me since you came all the way down here for me." I told him with a side glance just as the light changed color.

He choked on his drink as I followed the traffic down the highway. "Unless I was mistaken, your house is only four bedrooms and there are four of you ladies." He said as he capped his water bottle.

I nodded in agreement. "You are correct. I figured Noah could share a room with Maci and you could share mine."

"Thought we weren't going there on the first meeting?" He teased as he reached over for my hand that was resting on the gear shift.

Unable to stop myself, I chuckled because we had indeed said that. "Were you serious about not using me? And this being real?" I asked because he had told me that so many times in our emails, texts, and video chats.

"Of course I was or am." He said giving my hand a squeeze. "I have no hidden agenda. Do you really think I would drive all this way with my son if I wasn't all in?"

I shook my head because I never had any doubts so I had to make him see that so he could understand my decision to allow him to stay in my new house. "That's my point, Edward. I trust you. The only thing that will make you have to sleep on the couch is if Molly and Mia has a problem with it. I will talk to them once they get home from school."

He nodded in understanding as I turned into the parking lot of House Stuff. "Sounds like a plan, baby." He whispered against my wrist as he placed a soft kiss on my pulse point.

Thankfully, I wasn't that picky as long as the furniture looked decent and was stable so we were in and out of the store in less than an hour with a promise that it would be delivered at 4:30 that afternoon. "Where to now?" Edward asked as we buckled our kids into their respective car seats in the backseat of my car.

"To get matresses and couches."

"Was Maci sleeping in a big girl bed before the fire?" He asked once we closed the back doors of my car.

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. "She had one but wasn't sleeping in it through the night and I fear this will be a huge setback." I admitted softly.

He nodded. "Possibly. So are you going to get her a baby bed or a big bed?"

"I'm thinking a baby bed that can change into a big girl bed later. I just don't think she's ready for the transition yet, especially now." I explained as I smiled at my little girl in the backseat as she babbled with Noah.

"Katie was still in a baby bed when she went into the hospital, she never did transition. Rose tells me all the time that I am rushing his growing up because he's pretty much potty-trained and not even a year and a half old yet." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

I nodded. "I can understand her point and yours. It will be such a relief when she is 100% potty-trained but that means she is just one step closer to becoming independent."

"True. Do you think Maci's room is big enough for two baby beds?"

Once the delivery of the beds and couches was set we headed to the grocery store. "Will you let me pay for at least part of the groceries since Noah and I will be eating there too?" He asked as he placed Noah in a cart while I put Maci in another.

I shook my head. "No can do, mister. Does me paying for everything hurt your manhood?" I teased as I went to grab the cart to head inside when Maci pushed my hands away.

"No, Mama. Want E to push." She said with a scowl at me.

Edward nearly doubled over in laughter at the shocked look on my face. "I thought you were my girl, Maci Isabella." I pouted playfully.

She nodded quickly. "Wove you, Mama, want E to push." She said with a beaming smile on her face.

I popped a kiss to the top of her head as I turned the cart over to Edward as I bent down in front of Noah who had remained fairly quiet all afternoon. "Noah, will you be my buddy since Miss Maci abandoned me for your daddy?"

He nodded with a crooked grin little grin that I noticed he got from his father. "Yep." He said softly with a nod of his head.

"You are such a cutie." I told him as I ruffled his hair playfully, laughing at the scowl on his face for me messing with his hair.

"No, B." he said pushing my hand away from his head before smashing his hair back down. "Mine."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 (Edward)**

 **Things are heating up**

"If it would make your girls more comfortable I could sleep on the couch bed." I told Bella as I helped her make her new bed with her new sheets.

Bella looked at me with a raised eyebrow before shaking her head. "No you're not. My girls said it was no big deal that you and Noah are here but the next few days will show their real feelings. You did not drive all this way just to sleep on my couch."

"Oh really? I thought you said it wouldn't be so easy to get into you bed." I teased as I shook the newly washed comforter out over her/our bed.

She threw her head back in her laughter. "Just because you are getting in my bed fairly easily doesn't mean you are getting into my panties just as easily, mister."

I smirked at her as she got her laughter under control and went about straightening the comforter. "Is that a challenge?" I asked as we placed the pillows onto the bed before standing on opposite sides of the bed. "I swear I heard a challenge in those words, Isabella." I told her with a raised eyebrow as I crossed my arms across my chest.

With a shrug of her shoulders she bolted out of the bedroom and into the safety of Mia's bedroom where the little girl was sitting in the middle of her new bed playing with Bubbles. "Ready for bed, sweet girl?" I heard Bella ask as she rubbed a hand over the large German Shepherds head.

Mia nodded before kissing the top of Bubbles' head and holding her arms up for Bella to pick her up. I pushed off the doorjamb with a light rap of my knuckles to gain the ladies' attention. "Goodnight Miss Mia. It was nice to meet you in person today." I told her with a smile.

She smiled broadly back at me and with a wave and nod of her head, her goodnights were said without speaking a word. I headed into the room next to hers where my son and Maci were sleeping peacefully to give Bella and Mia a bit of privacy. Peeking over the edge of Maci's crib I couldn't help but smile at the sweet little girl as she slept peacefully with her new stuffed lizard clutched tightly in her hand. "Sleep tight, sweetheart." I whispered as I ran my hand through her dark red curls that gave her Mama fits.

I eased my way over to Noah's crib only to find him blinking sleepy eyes up at me. Scooping him up out of the crib I carried him to the chair that Bella had bought for this room and sat down with him against my chest. "What's wrong, buddy?" I asked him softly as I spread his legs and arms out to straddle my chest.

He sighed deeply but otherwise remained silent. "I get it, I do, but it's all going to be okay. I promise." I told him as I pushed the chair into a gentle rocking motion. I began humming some unknown tune that I had made up when I first brought him home from the hospital that never failed to lull him to sleep. It took less than five minutes for his soft snores to filter into the room causing me to smile against the top of his light red hair.

"Everything okay?" Bella asked softly as she stepped into the room halting my humming mid 'song'.

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, I think it's just a strange bed and no offence, but strange people too."

"No offence taken." She told me as she peeked over into Maci's crib doing the same exact thing I had done just a few minutes earlier but also pulling her blanket back up over her. "Need a few more minutes?" She asked softly as she walked to the doorway.

Shaking my head I stood up to return my son to his crib where I hoped he would remain the asleep the rest of the night. "Goodnight, son. I love you." I whispered against his head as I placed him down onto the mattress where he immediately rolled onto his stomach and tucked his hands under his stomach. With a soft hand down his back I pulled his blanket up over him before walking towards Bella who was smiling at me from the doorway. "What?" I asked as I pulled the door partially shut.

"You are an amazing father and it is sexy as hell." She admitted with a shy smile and nervous giggle.

I stepped towards her while she stepped backwards until she hit the wall with a soft thud. Placing my hands on either side of her head I leaned towards her until our lips were a scant centimeter apart. "Oh really? You think I'm sexy, huh?" I whispered against her lips.

She nodded as she reached up threading her fingers into my hair. "Duh, handsome. I've told you that before." She whispered softly as she tightened her grip in my hair trying to tug me closer. I didn't resist too much because I really wanted to kiss her like I've been dying to do all day.

"This isn't going to be gentle, baby. You ready?" I warned her as I pressed my hips forward against hers as my hands slid down the wall to her shoulders then down some more until I gripped her hips in mine pulling her harder against me.

"Please just do it. Stop teasing." She begged breathlessly as she arched her back off the wall pressing her chest against mine causing me to hiss as I felt her hard nipples press against my chest. Without another word I sealed my lips to her where my tongue immediately sought out hers so I could devour her the way my body ached to do.

When we broke away for the evil necessity of breathing I rested my forehead against hers as our chests heaved against each other. "I did not come all this way for this but it is one helluva perk." I muttered softly which caused her to giggle and slap my chest lightly. "Let's get out of this hallway before we're busted." I told her as I glanced around at the three doors we were near that contained our sleeping children.

She nodded as she reached up placing a gentle kiss to my lips. "Good idea. Let me just set the alarm and I'll meet you in the bedroom."

I stepped away from her so she could head to the living room to do her nightly routine I had witnessed through a computer screen before. When she went to pass me I reached out and popped her on the ass causing her to squeal and spin to face me. I simply smirked at her and headed down the hall towards her bedroom where I grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and my bathroom bag from my suitcase before heading into the attached bathroom. I left the door cracked in the high hopes that she would join me but really to let her know where I was when she returned from locking up.

Grabbing my shower stuff I placed them on the built in shelf in the shower beside Bella's before turning the water on to warm up while I stripped off the days clothes. Pulling a towel and wash cloth out of the cabinet I sat them on the edge of the counter before shucking my clothes and tossing them into the hamper Bella had placed in there after our shopping trip earlier. This walk-in shower had nothing on mine back home but it was still really nice to step under the warm spray to wash away all the days grime. I put my hands against the shower wall as I bent my head under the spray allowing it to spill down my back before swirling into the drain.

With a heavy sigh I grabbed my wash-cloth and body wash and began the process of literally washing the grime off my skin. "Get a grip, man. It will all be worth it in the long run." I mumbled to my enlarged cock that was throbbing as it bounced in front of me.

"Who're you talking to, handsome?" I heard an amused voice call our just as a gust of cool air entered the shower stall. I whipped around to face a very naked Bella step nervously into the shower pulling the door shut behind her. "Oh my." She said as her eyes raked over my very aroused body.

I groaned as I raked my hands through my hair tugging on the wet strands to try to force my body to remain calm. "Bella, this is dangerous ground you're treading on here." I growled as I snapped my eyes open to watch her facial expression because I wanted to see what she decided to do.

"I know." She whispered as she took a tentative step towards me but I held up a hand to stop her. "Edward—" She started but I shook my head.

"As amazing as this could be between us, I truly did not come all this way just to get laid on the first night but if you keep coming further into this shower I can't promise that I'll be able to stop." I warned as I took a few steps back until I was pressed against the back shower wall.

She took two steps towards me until she was a mere few inches away from my swaying cock that was almost honing in on her scent. "I know what I'm doing, Edward. Trust me." She said firmly as she stepped closer yet again causing me to groan as my cock became wedged between our stomachs as her hands slid onto my shoulders. "Let's shower and then let the rest just flow, okay?"

I groaned in amazing agony as I slid my hands down her bare back to her hips. "You are going to be the death of me, Isabella."

She chuckled as she shoved away from me stepping under the shower spray slicking her hair down her back. "I'll make it worth your while, promise."

Grabbing her shampoo I stepped up behind her as I squirted some in my hand. "Let me."

"Stop twitching." Bella growled as I stood between her legs while she shaved my days worth of beard growth off.

When she moved the razor to rinse off the shaving cream I smiled at her. "Sorry. This is one hell of an experience, baby. You're the first woman to ever shave me and you're doing it nearly naked so I'm sorry if I twitch."

She smiled coyly at me before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth as she pressed the razor to my cheek again. "You're the first guy I've ever wanted to shave." She admitted as she concentrated running the razor slowly down the side of my face. "So please be still so I don't scar up your gorgeous face." She told me when she rinsed the razor again.

I growled at her but before I could mutter a single word she raised her eyebrow as she brought the razor back to my face, only this time she tipped my head backwards so she could shave my neck. If I had done this myself we could be well into breaking in that new bed and finishing what we had started in the shower but she had been so cute when she asked me if she could shave me that I hadn't been able to deny her. While she was shaving my neck I counted backwards from 100 trying to calm my body down some so I didn't make a fool of myself once we finally made it to the bedroom.

"All finished." She whispered as she brought a wash-cloth to my face wiping off the small traces of shaving cream.

When she tossed the wash-cloth onto the counter I grabbed her off the counter, tossing her over my shoulder as I headed for the bedroom. She giggled as I tossed her playfully on the bed, causing her towel to become untied and falling open which caused me to groan. "You are so beautiful." I told her as I stood between her legs against the edge of the bed.

She reached up suddenly and tugged my towel loose before flopping back onto the bed. "Turnabout's fair play." She said with a playful shrug.

Raising an eyebrow at her I stepped back from the bed and headed back into the bathroom for the last part of her nightly ritual. Lotion. "Edward?" She called out curiously.

Grabbing her new bottle of lotion off the bathroom counter I quickly headed back into the bedroom with my smirk firmly in place. "You are right about that, baby, turnabout is fair play." I told her as I popped the top of the lotion bottle and squirted some into my hands before tossing the bottle onto the bed beside her.

She was the one that groaned in agony this time as I rubbed the lotion between my hands warming it up so I could spread it on her ENTIRE body. "Edward…" She whined as she squirmed on the bed.

I shook my head as I reached down grabbing her left foot placing her foot on my chest as I began working the lotion into her leg, massaging her calf muscle as I went. When I got to her thigh I dropped her leg back onto the bed and picked the bottle of lotion back up squirting some more onto my palm as I smiled down at her as she scowled up at me. "What's wrong, baby? Aching in all the good places?" I teased as I started my massage on her right leg, stopping just a few centimeters from her soaked center. I was so close I could feel the heat her center was putting off.

She nodded as she growled at me. "Yes and your point is proven. Will you please stop teasing and start pleasing?" She asked as she rubbed her thighs together, trying to create some friction.

I slid my hands onto her thighs and spread them open to stop her actions. "Un uh. You teased me mercilessly in the shower and while shaving me. As you said, turnabout is fair play." I told her as I knelt on the bed between her legs with her knees resting on either side of my hips.

She narrowed her eyes at me as she gripped the sheets in her hands in her sexual frustration.

Leaning over her, I placed my hands on either side of her head as I brought my head down until our noses touched. "This is your last chance to back out of this, Isabella, because if I get a feel of how wet you are then I'm not stopping." I warned her one last time.

She slid her hands onto my back and up to my shoulders. "Then get to feeling mister before I do it myself." She growled up at me as she hooked her legs around my waist trying to tug me down onto the bed.

I chuckled at her as I placed my lips against hers as I slid my hands under her arms to scoot her further up the bed before laying myself down flush against her flushed body which caused us both to groan and come up for air. "Jesus." I groaned against her neck as I rocked my hips causing her wetness to coat my hardness. "I can't wait." I mumbled as I pushed myself up off her a little bit.

"Me neither." Bella said as she raised her hips up searching for mine. "Please…" She begged again as she slid her hands back down to my back.

Reaching down between our bodies I pushed my hardness through her wetness hitting her swollen nub along the way causing her to arch her back and claw at my back. After a couple of passes through her wetness I lined us up which caused both of us to gasp and hold our breath as I pushed myself inside just an inch or so. "I won't break…" Bella told me as she tightened her legs around my waist and pulled me flush against hers causing her eyes to roll into the back of her head.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 (Bella)**

 **Airport Surprises!**

I heard Maci rustling through the baby monitor as I flipped the pancakes I had made for breakfast. "Molly, will you please come watch these while I go get your sister before she wakes Noah?" I asked my gorgeous little girl who was reading a book she had bought yesterday while she waited on breakfast.

"Sure, Mama." She said as she slid her bookmark into place while pushing her kitchen chair back.

Handing her the spatula I placed a kiss to the top of her long black locks before heading down the hallway. Sticking my head around the door frame I saw that Noah was still curled up snoring softly while my little girl was sitting up in her bed rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, Miss Maci." I called to her softly as I pushed open the door enough for me to pass through but not enough to let the hall light shine onto the sleeping baby boy.

She simply held her arms up for me so I could pick her up. I put a finger to my lips before pointing over at Noah's crib to let her know we had to be quiet. She nodded and shook her arms at me. I giggled softly as I picked her up out of the crib, feeling of her bottom as I brought her to my chest. "You need to go peepee?" I asked her as I headed out of the bedroom pulling the door almost completely shut behind me.

Maci nodded against my shoulder.

After we were done in the bathroom I headed back to the kitchen with Maci on my hip but stopped dead in my tracks as I saw it wasn't Molly standing at the stove but a sleep rustled Edward. "Good morning." I whispered as I stepped up behind him and placed a kiss on his bicep.

He turned and placed a kiss to the top of my head and hummed in response as he flipped a pancake in the pan.

"Are you guys going to be all lovey dovey now?" Molly asked from behind me causing me to groan against Edward's arm before turning to face her.

Cocking my head to the side I eyed her for a moment before answering her. "We may kiss and stuff on occasion like your aunts and uncles do. Does it bother you?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head and smiled at me. "No, just please don't get gross with it. You told me when I stuck my tongue out at Steph a few months ago that God intended for tongues to be kept inside your mouth not hanging out of it for everyone to see." She said with an impish smile on her cherubic face.

I could feel Edward shaking with laughter from behind me as I dealt with my too smart for her own good teenage daughter. "That is true and we will keep it PG-13, okay?" I promised.

With a smile on her face she nodded. "Okay but I do like seeing you happy, Mama." She whispered before turning back to her book.

"Thank you, pretty girl."

"Eat, Mama." Maci chirped from my shoulder.

Placing a kiss to the top of her head I sat her in Liam's old high chair that Angela had given me yesterday when she dropped the kids off after school. "Yes ma'am, it's time to eat then we have to get your sisters off to school, okay?"

"Maci school?" She asked as I snapped the tray in place.

I shook my head. "No ma'am, you're gonna stay home with me today, okay?"

She frowned but nodded.

Shaking my head I got up to grab a small plate and begin fixing her plate of torn up pancakes and sliced strawberries with whip cream. Once I had her plate fixed I slid it onto her tray along with a sip cup full of milk. "I didn't think to ask yesterday but does Noah drink formula or is he on whole milk?" I asked Edward as I fixed Molly and Mia's plates.

"Milk is fine. Rose spoils him by mixing in strawberry syrup because that was Katie's favorite." He explained as he handed me a plate that contained a small stack of pancakes. "Eat up, baby."

"Thanks." I told him as I carried the three plates to the table before sitting down to eat breakfast with my three girls. "You joining us?" I asked over my shoulder.

He nodded as he sat in the seat next to me. "I am if you ladies don't mind."

My girls shook their heads while I smiled at him before cutting into my still warm pancakes. Like usual, breakfast was a quiet affair as my girls devoured their food before putting their dishes in the sink and going to brush their teeth. I stopped Mia on her way past the table. "Once I finish eating we will get your hair done, okay?" I told her softly.

She nodded with a frown on her face but remained silent as she headed down the hall towards her bedroom where her school clothes lay on her bed. I was hoping to be able to get into my house today to see if I could salvage any of their belongings but I was still waiting on the fire marshal to call me back. "Thanks for breakfast, baby." Edward said as he stood up, placing a kiss on the side of my head, grabbing mine and Maci's empty plates and headed for the kitchen sink. "I'll clean up."

"You don't have to do that, Edward." I told him as I unbuckled Maci from her chair. "I'll get to it after I take the girls to school." I told him as I carried Maci's tray to the counter.

He placed a kiss to the side of my head again. "It's fine, Isabella. I don't mind. Now, you go get your girls ready for school while I clean this up."

"Yes sir." I mock saluted him before leaving him to the dirty dishes.

While I was waiting in the car line to drop Mia off the call I had been waiting on since my life turned upside down came through. "Miss Swan?"

"This is she." I said into the phone as I inched up in line. "May I ask who's calling?" I asked because I didn't recognize the number that had showed up on my phone.

"This is Fire Marshall Owens. I was wondering if you had time today to do a walk-through of your house and make a list of things that are a total loss and possible gather the things that are salvageable."

My eyes widened because I didn't think I would have to actually walk through the rubble that used to be my dream home. "Walk through the house? Is that safe?" I asked nervously as I glanced in the rear view mirror at my two girls who were contently looking out their windows.

"It is with a professional and I will be right there with you to make sure everything is okay." He reassured me.

"Okay. I will need to find a babysitter for my little ones before I am able to come out there because I don't want them to see the house." I explained as I inched closer to Mia's drop off point.

"Of course, Miss Swan. How about we meet at the address at 1 o'clock this afternoon? Will that be sufficient enough time to take care of things?" Running my fingers through my ponytail to calm my nerves I nodded but quickly realized he couldn't see me.

"Yes sir, that's fine. I guess I will see you at 11. Do I need to have my insurance adjuster meet us there too?" I asked almost as an afterthought.

"No ma'am. I already have a walkthrough scheduled with your insurance company for next Wednesday. All they will need is a list of items lost, items you take, and a layout of the home which you will need to do today while we're there." He explained again.

"Okay. Thank you for calling." I told him as I hung up the phone quickly because I had reached the drop-off point. "Have a good day, Mia girl. I'm going to have Aunt Alice pick you up this afternoon, okay? I've got to go to the old house and talk to the firemen, okay?" I explained as she unfastened her seatbelt.

She nodded as she leaned over my seat to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, Mama." She whispered softly.

"I love you so very much, Mia Grace." I told her as I returned her kiss to my cheek before she hopped out of the car. I waved to her teacher as I drove out of the parking lot.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I walked back into my house but to see Edward pacing, running his hands through his hair, and practically growling into the phone was not it. "Edward?" I asked cautiously as I sat Maci down in the big chair and setting up her cartoons to keep her content and quiet until Noah woke up.

He spun around to me and put a finger to his lips before pointing to the phone and mouthing 'Tanya' in explanation. When I went to step around him he snagged me by the hand and tugged me against his chest. I could hear Tanya practically screaming through the phone. "You better not have my son around some floozy when you won't even let him be around me."

"I'm surprised you even care, Tanya. I talked to Irina the other day and she explained why you were suddenly wanting access to my son so you can stop with the games because MY son will not be used as a pawn to suck that poor bastard into your sick web." Edward growled into the phone before placing a kiss to the top of my head.

I smiled against his chest because his harsh words and tender actions were complete contradictions of each other. "Edward, I just want to be a mother to my son and you are standing in my way." She screeched through the phone.

"Then all I can tell you is to take me to court because that is the only way you will ever get access to my son. When a judge makes me, otherwise you have no say so in who my son interacts with or who interacts with him. As of right now, I have full sole physical custoday and legally I am his ONLY parent so I get to make ALL the decisions concerning MY son. Goodbye, Tanya." He said as be bent down placing his lips against my own as he pulled the phone away from his ear where Tanya was screeching his name.

"Mmmm." I moaned against his lips as I wrapped my arms around his neck threading my fingers through my hair.

He smiled against my lips as he tossed his phone towards the couch before bringing his hands up to cup my face gently. "This is what I consider a good morning." He mumbled when we broke contact for a few seconds.

His comment made me smile before tugging his lips back against mine.

"Dada! Yum's yum's gone!" Noah called from the direction of the kitchen. "Mama! Big biwd!" Maci called from behind us. We both broke away with a chuckle.

"Parenthood calls." We both said as we separated and got our children settled back down. Noah joined Maci in the big chair to watch Sesame Street as they shared a blanket. I pulled Edward into the laundry room where I had piles of things that still needed to be washed and I could only imagine that the piles were going to quadruple after I visited what was left of my home. "What time is your mom supposed to land today?" I asked as I handed him the clothes from the dryer to put on the kitchen table to be folded.

"Her flight left this morning at 7 and she is scheduled to land at 10:45. Why? Are you still nervous about meeting her?" He teased as I joined him at the kitchen table to fold all the new towels and washcloths I had bought yesterday.

I shook my head as I sat down across from him at the table. "No. Fire Marshall Owens called while I was dropping the girls off at school and I have to go meet him at the house at 1 o'clock. Will you come with me?" I asked nervously. Asking Edward to do something for me made me more nervous than meeting his mom for the first time did.

"Of course, baby. I'm here to help you with whatever you need help with. My mom will watch Noah, I'm sure, but what about Maci since she's obviously not going to daycare today?" He asked softly which caused me to smile because already he was concerned about the welfare of my sweet baby.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure yet but Alice or Jasper are usually available whenever I need a babysitter in a pinch. JJ makes the morning rough over there so I was waiting until after 9 to call and ask them." I explained as I separated the towels to the bathrooms they were going in. My towels were emerald green and gray while the girls' towels were turquoise and hot pink.

Edward nodded. "If they can't I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind watching her. She takes being a grandmother very seriously." He said with a chuckle and shake of his head. "She'll have your girls won over and calling her 'Nana' within a couple of days, just watch."

Smiling at him I nodded because honestly, my kids weren't hard to win over. Molly and Mia craved that sense of acceptance and belonging because of the things they had been through while Maci just followed in her big sister's footsteps. "While I have no doubt about her ability to win over my impressionable little girls, I don't want to ask your mom to babysit so soon after I meet her, Edward."

"I understand, just remember that the option is there. Do you want to go with me to pick her up from the airport?" He asked as he picked up a stack of towels before standing up from his chair.

I nodded. "Yeah, we'll come with you. Maybe we can get lunch afterwards." I told him as I picked up my own stack of towels.

"Sounds good to me, baby."

Edward's groan caught my attention from playing patty cake with the kids. "What's wrong?" I asked him as he stood up from the bench we had been occupying for the past ten minutes.

"My mom's not alone." He muttered as he pointed to a huge guy walking between two women with a giggling baby strapped to his chest. "Prepare yourself." He told me as he stepped forward a few feet so his family could spot him.

"Eddie! We made it!" The huge guy bellowed before the stunning blonde beside him popped him upside the head with a smile.

I watched as Noah's head whipped around, almost as if it was on a swivel, at the big guy's bellow. "Unc Em!" He yelled back as he scrambled to his feet and began running in their direction while Maci scrambled up into my lap.

"Mama?" She asked nervously as she gripped my t-shirt.

Rubbing soothing circles on her back I cradled her against my chest. "It's okay, baby girl, that is Noah's Uncle just like Jasper is yours." I explained to her as I rocked her gently. "Noah didn't mean to startle you, he's just excited to see his family." Shifting her around in my lap so she could see Noah giggling as his grandmother kissed his neck playfully. "See? He's just really happy."

She watched for a few minutes before squirming down out of my lap and walking to Edward who was talking with an older man that I assumed was his father. I couldn't help but smile at her as she walked straight up to Edward and tugged on his hand before holding her arms up indicating she wanted to be picked up. I had to admire her audacity because she wasn't shy in the least whereas I was much more comfortable staying in the shadows and out of the limelight. "Mama!" Maci called me, pulling my attention back to her.

Edward smiled at me and motioned with his head that he wanted me to join him so I took a deep breath and stood up to go meet Edward's family. "Don't be nervous." Edward whispered in my ear when I stepped up to his side before turning to his family. "Family, this is Bella. Bella, these are my parents…"

Once introductions were made we headed for the parking lot where Edward was going to let his family drive his car while we piled into mine. "Can I drive?" Emmett asked like a teenager, bouncing on his feet and huge grin in place, causing us all to laugh at his antics.

"No." Edward deadpanned before handing his car keys to his mom.

I couldn't help but giggle at the pout that Emmett put on his face, puppy dog lip and all. "He wrecked my first car the very first time I let him borrow it." Edward explained with a glare towards Emmett.

"Hey, I still maintain my innocence on that accident." Emmett exclaimed.

Edward raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? You were drag racing your buddies when you lost control and plowed down Mrs. Rush's brick flower beds."

"Well yeah, my beetle wouldn't have beat them at all but if Jack wouldn't have swerved into my lane I wouldn't have hit the flower beds therefore I'm innocent in the accident." Emmett argued.

"Boys! That's enough." Esme said with a smile and a shake of her head.

"Yes ma'am." They both muttered.

I cleared my throat as I shifted Maci on my hip. "I called and secured us a table at a restaurant for lunch but they will only hold it for a short time so we need to get going." I told the group.

That got everybody scrambling for the cars with smiles and shouts of 'We'll follow you!' which caused me to laugh as I opened the back door of my car to put Maci in her seat. "They do realize we still have to buckle our kids in right?" I asked Edward as we ducked into the backseat.

"They're crazy, which is showcased by all of them coming down here instead of letting my mom come by herself." He said with a shake of his head.

"It's kind of heartwarming to know that this is what some families are like. Alice told me she emailed my father at the same time she emailed you informing him and my stepmother of my house burning down but I haven't heard a single thing from them. That's the kind of family I am used to so it's really nice to be included in such a loving one for a change." I explained as we climbed into the front seats, with me in the driver's seat since I knew where we were going.

Edward grasped my hand once I had the car put in drive and pulled it into his lap, threading our fingers together. "I'll gladly share my family with you, baby, but you have an amazing family rallying around you already. You told me one that Alice and Jasper and Angela and Ben were your family."

"They are, and I will forever be grateful for them coming into my lives but as much as I consider them my family, it still hurts when my own father doesn't even call to make sure me and his granddaughters are okay." I explained as I turned onto the highway making sure that his family was keeping up.

Edward pulled my hand to his lips where he placed a gentle kiss to my knuckles but remained quiet otherwise.

Just as we were pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant my phone rang with Alice's number. I had texted her earlier asking if she or Jasper could watch Maci as well as pick the girls up from school until I was done at the house. "Alice." I told Edward as I answered it.

"Hello, best friend and favorite Aunt." I teased into the phone earning a giggle from her in response.

"There is no need to suck up. When are you bringing me my precious goddaughter?" She deadpanned.

Sighing into the phone I nodded over at Edward before answering Alice. "After lunch so she should lay down for a N-A-P." I explained spelling out the dreaded word, nap.

"Good deal. See y'all then."

"Thanks, Ali." I told her softly because she truly was an absolutely amazing best friend.

"No need to thank me, bestie. Love you."

"Love you too." I said just before hanging up and turning to Edward with tears in my eyes because our earlier conversation was still fresh in my mind.

Edward reached over cupping my face as he turned sideways in his seat. "It's okay, baby." He whispered before placing a gentle kiss to my lips as his fingers wiped the tears from my cheeks.

I shook my head. "I'm not usually this emotional. I don't know what's wrong with me." I muttered before kissing his lips again.

"I expected your emotions to be all over the place because you have went through a traumatic experience and haven't allowed yourself time to deal with it all. It's going to get really bad when we get to the house in a little bit but right now, let's go have a fun lunch with my crazy family." He told me as he smiled at me gently.

Nodding I take a deep breath and smile at him. "Okay."

"We're hosting dinner tomorrow evening so we need you to extend the invitation to Edward's family too." Alice told me less than five seconds after I walked into her house with a sleeping Maci resting on my shoulder.

I smiled at her. "It's nice to see you too, Alice." I told her as I walked past her to the room that used to be Maci's and Mia's but was now a guest room with an extra crib in it to lay my sleeping girl down for a good nap while I dealt with the mess of my house. I had 30 minutes to get out of here, pick Edward up at the hotel, and get to my old house.

"How are things with Mr. DILF?" she asked as soon as I stepped back into the living room.

Placing a kiss to the top of her head. "Great. I've gotta run, Ali. Thank you. Love you."

"Love you too and you will spill the beans tomorrow because Angela wants to know too." Alice said as I walked out of her house and back out to my car where I texted Edward that I was on my way.

 **OMW. Alice hosting dinner tomorrow. Invite everyone.**

 **See you soon, baby. Be careful.**

Edward insisted on driving to my old house because he said it could be an emotional experience for me to see the remnants of what had been my dream home. Boy, was he right. When he rounded the bend in the road allowing my property to come into view I sat forward with my fingers over my mouth at the sight before me. The front half of the house was burned nearly completely with just a few pieces of the wall and the fireplace chimney still standing but the back half of the house looked almost untouched aside from the busted windows and black smoke stains on the outside of the house. "Wow." I muttered behind my fingers as I felt the tears fall down my cheeks.

"We'll get through this together, baby. I'm here all the way." Edward reassured me as he pulled in beside a white car with the New Orleans Fire Department logo on the driver's side door. Looking around I could still see the girls' toys scattered around the yard, the tire swing Jasper and Ben had hung in the large oak tree in the side yard, and the door hanger that Alice had gotten me a few weeks ago still hanging on the smoke stained front door.

Swiping my cheeks I took a deep breath before nodding at Edward. "Let's get this over with." I told him as I opened my door and climbed from my car.

I had barely made it around the hood of my car when I heard my name being called from a person I hadn't wanted to see today. James. My annoying next door neighbor. "Bella! Bella!"

Sighing I turned to see him standing at the fence I had installed around my property when James became creepy by basically waiting on me to get home every single day. "Hi James. I'm kind of busy today." I called out to him.

"I just wanted to make sure you and the girls were okay after the fire." He called back as he propped his arms on top of the fence which told me he was standing on something because that was a seven foot fence.

Just then Edward stepped from the car and the fire Marshall stepped out of my garage. "Hello Miss Swan." Marshall Owens said as he headed towards me. He had a camera hanging around his neck and a notepad in his hands. "Thank you for meeting me out here." He said as he reached out and shook my hand.

"Hi Marshall. This is my boyfriend Edward Cullen." I said as I shook his hand before pointing at Edward who had joined me at the front of my car. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed James staring intently at us with a glare on his face. "I hope it's okay that I brought him along for support."

The Marshall shook Edward's hand before motioning towards the garage. "Let's step in here. Your neighbor has been there since I pulled up about half an hour ago."

I shook my head as Edward turned to look at James before wrapping his arm around my waist guiding me into the smoke damaged garage. "My brother and sister-in-law want to know if it's okay if they come help Bella load things up so we don't leave anything behind that she wants." Edward asked once we were in the safety of the garage.

"That's fine but I do ask that they not enter the house. You can bring things out to the driveway for them to load up but pictures have to be taken before anything is removed as well as a list of every single item taken from the home. It's easier when there are less people going through the house." The Marshall explained as he tapped his camera and notepad.

Edward nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'll call Emmett and tell him it's a go ahead." He said as he placed a kiss to the top of my head before stepping back out of the garage to make his phone call.

"Do you have any containers to put items in?" Marshall Owens asked me as I looked around my garage that didn't have much in it besides the kids' other outside toys and bicycles.

I nodded. "Yeah, in my car. Can I just put things here in the garage for the time being? Is it safe structurally?" I asked him as I looked around. I didn't see much damage beside smoke stains. "I was going to wipe things down before taking them back to our new house." I explained.

"That's fine. The damage was mainly contained to the middle of the house; the kitchen, living room, and dining room. The first bedroom off the living room suffered the most damage on that side of the house." He explained. "Before we go inside I need you to draw a rough sketch of the layout of the house, if you don't mind. That will give your friends some time to get here." He said handing me a notepad.

Sitting in one of the lawn chairs that had been stacked in the corner of the garage I took my time drawing out the layout of the house and the furniture placement. I had to swipe a few tears away as I drew in pieces of furniture that I was almost certain were a total loss. "Emmett is renting a truck and trailer while Rose and my Dad round up some boxes." Edward said as he knelt beside me. "You're doing great, baby."

"I feel like a titty baby." I told him as I swiped a few more tears away as I finished the last few touches of the drawing.

"Absolutely not. You are entitled to cry as much as you want through this whole ordeal. It is going to be really tough once we get inside and you truly see the damage for the first time. I don't know how long I cried in my mom's arms after my office burned to the ground and that isn't nowhere near as bad as your house burning down with your stuff inside." He explained as the Marshall worked around us taking pictures of the entire garage and it's contents.

"I assume you're going to take everything from the garage?" Marshall Owens asked.

Edward nodded for me. "Yes sir." I answered him verbally as I stood from the chair with the finished drawing in my hand. "I added in furniture placement too since I assume most of it will be unsalvageable from the fire, smoke, and water."

The Fire Marshall nodded in agreement as he took the drawing from me. "Yes ma'am. Most of it will be ruined but some of the furniture in the back rooms may be okay. We'll check when we get to those rooms. Are you ready to get started?"

Taking a deep breath I nodded. "I think so." I told him as I followed him to the door that led into my kitchen.

"Before we enter the house remember to not take anything until I have photographed it and written it down. You can do a list of destroyed items once you leave based on the pictures taken today. I have done an initial walkthrough for my investigation and the house is structurally safe to walk through." Marshall Owens explained as he stepped into the charred remains of what used to be a beautiful open kitchen that I had dreamed of owning for years.

I gasped as I stepped the first step into what used to be my beautiful home. "Oh God!" I exclaimed as I took in the ashes of what used to be my wall of books and the melted shape of the TV and the springs that used to be my couch.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **Extended vacation? (Edward)**

Raining kisses down Bella's bare back caused her to groan and arch her back even though her breathing told me she was still asleep. It was the middle of the night and I couldn't get back to sleep so I figured what better way to exhaust myself again than to wake Bella up and do what parents did in the dark of the night. I trailed my kisses from hip to hip as I slid my hands down her bare thighs to her knees where I pulled one up so I could have easier access to her center. "Edward…" She groaned when I slowly trailed my dragged my hand up the inside of her thigh, inching slowly towards her soaked center.

"Mhmm." I moaned in response as I trailed kisses across the round firm cheeks of her ass before continuing down her hip and onto her leg. "Wake up, beautiful." I smiled as she spread her legs a little more as her breathing sped up letting me know she was waking up.

With a strategically placed kiss against her slick folds she came fully awake and reached back grabbing my hair. I growled at her as I ran my tongue along her folds causing her to arch her back and push her hips back into my face. I slid my hand up her thigh to join my mouth in bringing her to orgasm. When I circled her swollen nub with my knuckle it caused her to pull her knee up giving me more space to lay between her legs. Sliding two fingers knuckle deep within her caused her to groan deep in her throat and tighten her grip in my hair almost to the point of being painful. I slid my tongue back to circle her tight rosebud which sent her over the edge. With a final kiss to her slick folds I pulled myself back up the bed until my chest was pressed against her back and my hand slid beneath her stomach until I was cupping her folds and could feel her still throbbing. "Ready?"

She nodded quickly as she pressed her hips back into mine seeking friction. I shifted my hips until I eased inside her slick heat causing us both to groan as our bodies slid together slowly. I kept my movements slow and hard as I pressed my fingers against her throbbing clit. When I felt her insides start quivering I groaned as I buried my face in her neck because I hadn't wanted this to be over so quickly but I couldn't fight the milking sensations her walls were doing to my cock.

Pressing my fingers hard against her nub I pounded into her in long hard strokes as I rode out her orgasm before emptying into her body. "Oh God!" She screamed into the mattress as her hips shook from the force of her third orgasm.

"Not God, baby, just me." I told her with a chuckle against her cheek as I pulled out of her and collapsed beside her.

She rolled over cuddling into my side and draping a leg over mine. "That was one helluva wake-up call."

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep and your bare back was simply irresistible." I told her with a kiss to the top of her head.

After a few minutes I eased out of the bed and headed into the bathroom where I cleaned myself up before bringing a warm washcloth back to clean Bella up. I couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted me when I stepped back into the bedroom. She had slipped my t-shirt on since we likely wouldn't wake up before the kids and had curled herself around the pillow that I had claimed as mine over the past few nights. Gently, without waking her back up I cleaned my cum off her lips and legs before tossing the cloth into the hamper and joining Bella in the bed.

"Mom, what's going to happen to our old house?" Molly asked as she poured Bubbles some dog food while Bella heated her pop-tarts up in the toaster.

With a sigh, Bella turned around to face her oldest daughter while Mia listened intently from the table. I was at the stove fixing Mia and I some oatmeal since she didn't want pop-tarts. "It's not livable anymore, sweetheart. That's where Edward and I were yesterday and the reason you had to stay with Aunt Ali for a bit after school. I got everything out of it that could be got out and now it's going to be cleaned up and I'm going to sell the property." She told them honestly.

I looked at her wide eyed because I figured she would sugar-coat things a bit more for the girls instead of being brutally honest with them. "My boxes?" Molly asked with tears in her eyes. I had no clue what she was talking about but apparently Bella did and knew how important these 'boxes' were to Molly.

"I've got them, sweetheart. We will have to find you some new boxes but the insides are fine." She told her as she pulled her into a tight hug. She looked at me and mouthed 'I'll explain later' before kissing the top of Molly's head and sending her to the table with her breakfast.

"Butter and sugar?" I asked Mia as I spooned some oatmeal into her little plastic bowl. She nodded her head and held her fingers up just a tiny bit apart to indicated she only wanted a little bit. I smiled back at her as I fixed her oatmeal with a little bit of sugar, butter, and a few blueberries.

I placed a kiss to the side of Bella's head as I headed to the table with Mia's bowl of oatmeal. "Molly, you sure you don't want any? I have plenty left."

"I'm good, thanks though. Dustin brings me breakfast every Friday." She told me with a smile before popping a piece of pop-tart into her mouth.

"Ahh, smart man." I told her with a pat on the shoulder and a smile.

Leaning against the counter beside Bella with my own bowl of oatmeal we watched the girls eat in silence before putting their dishes away and heading to their rooms to get ready for school. "Why the scowl?" I asked her as I took a bite of my breakfast.

"I hate how this tragedy has affected my kids. Mia has went back to not really speaking and clinging to her blanket. Molly's more emotional about small things, she teared up when her favorite purple shirt wasn't in her closet yesterday morning. I think Maci's too young to really understand what's really going on." She explained with a heavy sigh as Mia came back up the hall with her hairbrush and two green bows to match her shorts.

I watched curiously as mother and daughter communicated without words. Without a single word spoken Bella sat Mia on the counter and pulled her hair into a single ponytail before splitting it and braiding it into two separate braids. When she clipped the bows onto the ends of each braid Mia beamed at her before popping a kiss to her cheek and pointing to the ground. "You're welcome, my precious girl. Don't forget to brush your teeth." Bella called after her before leaning back against the counter beside me with a sigh.

"Have you ever thought about sign language?" I asked softly as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Bella nodded. "When the girls first came to live with me we all took a sign language class in town but Mia got frustrated and started crying in the middle of the first class so we just never went back. She gets her point across in her own version of sign language."

"Yes she does. Maybe we can all make a trip to the zoo or something tomorrow to just have some good old fashioned fun." I suggested as I rinsed my bowl out in the sink.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you sure you don't mind watching Maci while I run the girls to school and to the grocery store?" She asked for probably the fifth time since we woke up an hour ago.

I pulled her to stand in front of me with my hands on her waist. She placed her hands on my chest as she leaned against my reclined body. "I'll tell you once again that it is fine to leave the babies sleeping while you go take the girls to school and do whatever errands you need to do. Maybe you could run by your job and check on what we talked about last night while you are out and about." I suggested softly as my thumbs found their way under her tank top to stroke the smooth skin of her stomach.

She stood on her tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on my lips. "PG-13. You promised." Molly said as she came through the kitchen heading for the living room.

With a chuckle we broke apart.

When Bella left with Molly and Mia I stuck my head into the room that Maci and Noah were sharing and smiled when I found them both still sleeping soundly. I grabbed my laptop and settled in at the kitchen table with the baby monitor to get some work done and check in with my clients and on my home. With a few clicks of my mouse pad I had the last four days worth of video surveillance playing on my screen. My blood ran cold when I saw a familiar blonde headed figure knocking on my front door and looking through my front windows. "Tanya." I muttered just as I heard the kids rustling over the monitor. I spent the next several minutes scrolling through the various cameras both inside and outside of my house but I didn't rest easy when she hopped in her car and left my driveway. That was the day she called me ranting and raving about taking 'her' son around other women.

Once I was satisfied that my home was relatively safe I pulled up my work email and spent the next twenty minutes replying and answering work emails before a soft "Dada." Came through the baby monitor.

I pushed away from the table and headed for the nursery. Once in there I noticed that both kids were awake and sitting up in their cribs. "Good morning, you two. Who needs the bathroom?" I asked as I headed for Noah who was now standing up and holding his arms up for me.

"Pee, E, pee!" Maci said as she gripped between her legs and started what I called the 'pee pee dance' in her crib. Scooping Noah up I quickly grabbed Maci under the other arm and hurried to the hall bathroom. I quickly sat Maci on her feet where she pulled her pants and still dry pull-up down and quickly sat on her little potty chair while I pulled Noah's down for him and quickly sat him on the big toilet. I knew it wasn't ideal for them to be using the bathroom together but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Once they had done their morning business, we washed our hands, and headed for the kitchen to get some breakfast. "Oatmeal and yum-yum's?" I asked them as I got a small pot of water boiling on the stove for the oatmeal.

Noah nodded enthusiastically while Maci cocked her head in curiosity. "Yum-yum's?"

"Yum-yum's good!" Noah said slapping his tray in his excitement.

Instead of attempting to explain to the little girl I just grabbed some fruit from the refrigerator and chopped it up for the two of them. When I sat the small bowls in front of them they both dug in but Noah's exclamation of "Yum-Yum's, Dada!" let Maci in on what they were. While I waited on the water to boil I fixed each of them a cup of milk and slid it onto their trays.

They dug into the cut up fruit and oatmeal with vigor but unfortunately they were still learning how to use a spoon and get everything into their mouths so by the time they were done eating they needed a bath. I used a baby wipe to clean a bunch of the mess off of them but they both had oatmeal stuck in their red hair so I stripped them of their pajamas right there in the kitchen before ushering them to the bathroom for a morning bath.

When Bella walked into the house three hours after she had left her arms were loaded down with grocery bags but her face was lit up with a smile. "Honey, I'm home." She sang playfully as she sat the bags down on the table.

I chuckled at her as I raced horses around a race-track mat that I had brought from my house with the two kids. "Mama!" Maci yelled out immediately abandoning her horse and racing for her mother. She had been asking about her for the past hour so I had distracted her with a horse racing game.

Bella scooped her up and began placing kisses all over her face and neck causing the little girl to squeal and giggle loudly. "Hello my sweet girl." She said as she sat Maci back on her feet as she motioned for Noah to come to her as well. He quickly pushed up off the floor and headed her way with his arms held up hi. "Hello to you too handsome boy." She told him as she placed the same kisses all over his face and neck causing him to join Maci's giggle fest.

"What's got you so happy?" I asked as I helped her unload the bags of groceries.

She turned around and hopped up on the counter top motioning for me to step between her legs as she draped her arms over my shoulders. "I had a good meeting with my boss and have amazing news."

"Really?" I asked as I placed my hands on her hips tugging her to the edge of the counter. I could hear our kids babbling to each other in the living room.

"Yeah, they let me take a leave of absence for six months with job security. I explained that I was going to scout out Tennessee for me and my girls and they said to let them know and they would try to find a clinic to transfer me to so I didn't have to start over at the bottom. Isn't that amazing?" She asked excitedly.

In response to her answer I placed my lips against hers for a quick yet passionate kiss before placing a small one to her lips. "Does that mean you are up for an extended vacation in Tennessee after Florida?"

She nodded against my lips. "Absolutely." She breathed before sealing her lips to mine in a passionate kiss.

Bella and I spent the next several hours scrubbing the furniture we recovered from her house as well as washing and re-washing all the clothes and bedding we brought back with us. "I'm so sick of doing laundry." Bella said as she sprawled out on the garage floor where we were scrubbing the dressers down with vinegar and baking soda to get the smoke smell off of them when she heard the buzzer sound for the dryer go off.

"I'll get this load if you wipe the dressers down with the warm water?" I said as I handed her the rinse rag and the bucket of clean warm water.

"Deal. Thanks, handsome." She told me with a huge smile as she dipped the rag into the warm water.

Chuckling at her I placed a kiss to the top of her head as I headed into the house. I checked in on the sleeping babies before pulling the load of sheets from the dryer. After three washes the smoke smell was finally gone from the laundry and they smelled like Bella's laundry detergent. Quickly folding the sheets I stacked them on the table along with all the other laundry we had washed today before pulling the wet clothes from the washer to my nose to make sure no smoke smell remained before putting the them into the dryer and starting another load in the washer.

By the time I got the washer going I spotted Bella coming in from the garage with the baby monitor in her hand. "One of them is stirring." She said with a nod to the nursery. "The dressers are drying for what is hopefully the last time. Will you check on them and I will get the food going to take to Alice's?"

Nodding, I grabbed the monitor from her as she stepped into the kitchen heading for the refrigerator.


	17. Chapter 17

**_SURPRISE_** _ **!**_

 **Chapter 17**

 **June 23, 2012**

 **Long Time Coming (Bella)**

 *****The school mentioned in this chapter is a legit magnet school in Chattanooga, Tennessee but I am changing things up a bit with the location of the school, the audition dates, application deadlines, etc... to make it work for this story line.*****

"Mama when are we going?" Mia asked me for probably the thousandth time since Edward and I told them we were going to Disney World two days ago.

Smiling down at her as I ran the baby shampoo through her long locks. "In the morning. Our flight leaves at 9 in the morning. Are you excited?" I asked her as I massaged the soap through her long locks.

She nodded eagerly as I began pouring the water over her head rinsing the soap from her hair. "Yes ma'am. Noah and Edward going too?" She asked softly.

It was so great to hear her talking so much because since the house fire she had kind of sunk back into her shell and barely spoke a word most days but this trip had her excited and being out of school helped also because she was around the same people day in and day out now so she was comfortable. "Yes ma'am, is that okay with you?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes."

"Good. How do you feel about going to visit Edward's house after we get finished at Disney World?" I asked her as I washed her body. Her answer was a simple shrug of her shoulders. "Would you miss this house if we didn't come back?" I asked because I had been thinking hard and heavy on relocating my little family to Tennessee so Molly could attend CCA and we could all be a family.

Once again, her answer was a shrug of her shoulders as I rinsed the soap from her body. "Why?" She asked as I pulled the plug from the bathtub draining the water.

"Because we have to find us a new house before the new school year starts." I explained.

"Bubbles, Garfield, and Joe come with us?" She asked as I dried her off.

"Of course. And all of our clothes, and toys, and everything. Always." I told her as I placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Okay." She said with a bright smile on her face.

One could only hope that this conversation would go as smoothly with Molly and Maci. Once I had Mia dressed in her pink and white minion pajamas and her hair brushed I patted her on the bottom and sent her to her bedroom. "Bed time, missy. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Okay, Mama. Love you!" She called as she flew into her bed where Bubbles was waiting on her.

I tucked her blankets in around her before kissing the top of her head. "I love you too, sweet girl. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"Okay." She whispered as she curled up against Bubbles who groaned at me when I rubbed the top of her head.

"Goodnight girls."

Poking my head into Molly's room I saw her sitting up against her headboard with her drawing pad propped against her knees as she chewed on her lip while her hand worked tirelessly against the paper. "Hey Molls, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked leaning against her doorframe.

She closed her notepad and nodded. "Sure, Mama. I was just trying to finish a piece before I went to bed."

"I would love to see it when you are finished with it." I told her as I sat on the foot of her bed beside Garfield. "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." I told her as I ran my fingers through Garfield's soft hair.

Molly cocked her head to the side as she sat up straight folding her hands in her lap. "Is this about that school I got Edward to help me look into in Tennessee?" She was such a smart little girl, and I was never more grateful that her harsh upbringing hadn't turned her into a hardened bratty teen.

I nodded. "It is. What would you think about if you went there next year?"

"Really?" She asked excitedly as she practically vibrated on her bed.

Again, I nodded and braced myself for the weight of her body when she launched into my arms for a gripping hug. "Nothing is set in stone but I have scheduled a walk-through for July 18th and you also have an audition scheduled for August 2nd." I told my excited little girl. "But you know this means we will have to move to Tennessee, right?" I asked just to be on the safe side.

"Duh, Mom. Why do you think I looked into that school in the first place? Edward and Noah live in Knoxville too." She said with an eye roll and a shake of her head as she settled back against her headboard.

Chuckling at her I placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you so much, sweet girl. I will print out the requirements for your audition tonight so you will have time to go over them and make sure you have everything you will need."

"Okay, thanks Mama. I love you too." She said as she pulled her art pad back into her lap. "It's a family portrait from the bar-b-que at Aunt Ali's a few weeks ago. I've been working on it since then." She told me as she opened the pad to the page she had been working on and showed me the work in progress. I gasped when I saw what my child had captured in her mind and explained on the paper in her hands. That bar-b-que had been a nice reprieve from dealing with all the house stuff. This Disney vacation will be another reprieve since the Fire Marshall had called last week with his final report and it was indeed arson. The 'hot spot' as he called it was where there was no plug-in, light switch, or any electrical wiring located so an official investigation was open to find the person who could've killed me and my girls.

"This is amazing, Molly." I told her as I looked at the distant view of Alice and Jasper's backyard. She had drawn all of us women (Esme, Rose, Alice, Angela, and myself) lounging on the large swing that hung from the huge oak tree with Sophie and JJ playing on a blanket beside the swing and all of the men (Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Ben) gathered around a smoking grill laughing, and finally but not least of all the kids (Mia, Maci, Liam, and Noah) running around the backyard with Bubbles chasing them. "Did you take a picture of this to remember all of the details?" I asked her as my eyes bounced all over the page taking in my girls talent.

She shook her head as she pulled her knees to her chest resting her chin on them as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "No ma'am. It's all from memory."

"This is absolutely amazing, Molly. You even drew the ice cubes in the lemonade glasses!" I told her as I noticed the small details she put into the drawing.

She nodded. "The details are what can make or break a drawing. Who drinks lemonade without ice?" She asked with a chuckle.

With a shrug I handed her the art pad back. "I don't know what the audition requires but this is by far your best piece yet and I think you need to show it, if it's possible." I told her as I stood from her bed.

"But, Mama, this is our family. It's not meant to be meant to be seen by anybody else except family." She said softly as she held the art pad close to her chest.

I looked at her curiously. "And why not? Our mish-mashed family is nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. Showing this family portrait will not take anything away from our family, sweetheart. We are family for a reason, and that is that we stick together forever." I explained to her. "I guarantee you, if you show that drawing to any single person in it that they will tell you to use it at your audition." I told her firmly. "But it's your decision at the end of the day, sweetheart. I love you, Molly Rayanne. Don't stay up too late, we have a flight to catch in the morning for some well deserved fun."

"Yes ma'am. I love you too, Mama."

Pulling her door shut on my way out I headed for Maci and Noah's room where I found Edward sitting in the rocking chair reading softly to our children who were laying in their cribs listening to his voice intently. I stood in the doorway listening him read 'The Ugly Duckling' to our children who were slowly losing the battle with their eyelids. I walked over to Maci's crib and ran my hand through her red curls as she closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Sleep tight, my girl. Mama loves you." I whispered to her as I bent down to give her a kiss to the top of her head. Once I was finished with Maci I walked across the room to Noah's crib and repeated the process. "Sleep tight, sweet boy. We love you." I whispered against the top of his red hair.

Edward met me at the bedroom door, taking my hand in his and silently leading me to our bedroom. "What's wrong, baby?"

I shook my head as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Nothings wrong, everything is perfect. My girls are okay with moving to Tennessee." I whispered against his chest.

He picked me up and spun me around. "This is absolutely amazing news, baby."

I nodded as I giggled at his exuberance. "It is but now I have to go through the tedious process of packing up this house and relocating our entire lives to Tennessee. And I have to find somewhere for us to live while we're there on 'vacation'." I said using air quotes around the word vacation because we had the things with the art school and now the horrible process of finding us somewhere to live.

"Move in with me and Noah." Edward said as he cupped my face in his hands softly. "My house is meant for a family, Isabella. Please move in with us." He asked softly as he placed a gentle kiss to my lips.

Sighing heavily I sat down onto the edge of our bed. "Is your house even big enough for a family of six? What if I don't like it? What if my girls don't like it?" I rattled off quickly as I twisted my hands in my lap.

He chuckled and grabbed his laptop off his nightstand pulling something up on the screen before handing it to me. "Have a look. There is the security video footage so you can get a live view plus tons of pictures."

Once the computer was in my grasp he got up off the bed heading for our dresser. "What're you doing?" I asked as I scooted to the middle of the bed settling the laptop in my lap.

"Going to take a shower." He told me with a smile as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Pulling up his security footage I clicked from angle to angle looking through his house. It was massive. More massive than anything I had ever dreamed of living in. The backyard is what sealed the deal for me. It was like a child's paradise with a huge 'tree' house sitting in one corner, a jungle gym contraption in another corner and a sand box and wading pool between the two huge contraptions. The other side of the yard was more adult friendly with a fire pit, deck, and outdoor kitchen. The two sides of the yard was separated by a good size expanse of grass. Just as I was about to click close on the surveillance footage I noticed a strange woman standing in the driveway in front of the garage but no car in the camera's view. "Edward? Is this footage live?" I asked once I heard the shower shut off.

"I backed it up a couple hours so you could see everything. Why?" He asked as he stuck his head around the corner of the bathroom door.

"There's someone standing in your driveway." I told him as I turned the laptop to face him showing him the strange figure pacing his driveway.

He took a closer look before snatching his phone off the dresser. "That's Tanya." He told me before he pulled the phone to his ear.

"I'm so tired." I complained as I flopped back onto the bed of our bedroom in our suite at the Animal Kingdom resort at Disney World. It was technically our second day in Florida but it was our first day visiting the parks and the kids had been beyond excited. We had rented a double stroller right off the bat but it quickly became a hassle because Maci and Noah were too excited to sit in it so for the first several hours it was just a hold all for our stuff. That is when I produced two little backpacks that had 'leashes' attached to them and slipped them around each toddler. After a few minutes of fit throwing my sweet angel agreed to wear the backpack as long as she was out of the stroller. Hearing my girls giggle and smile broadly was 100% worth the aching feet and sore back at the end of the day.

Edward chuckled as he walked into the bedroom behind me. We had just finished checking on the kids for the final time and making sure the monitor was on. "How about a shower then bed?" He asked running his hands up the backs of my bare thighs. I still had on the shorts and t-shirt I had put on this morning.

I groaned at the idea of having to force myself from the bed but I knew that I would never sleep good knowing how much sweat and grime was on my body from being out in the Florida sun most of the day. Edward chuckled and forcefully rolled me over before leaning down over me in a mock push-up. "Come on, lazy bones. Let's go." He said as he bend down placing a quick kiss to my lips. "The quicker we get washed off the quicker we can get to bed."

Things heated up fairly quickly once our clothes disappeared and we were beneath the stream of hot water. "You've been killing me all day in those little shorts of yours." Edward mumbled against the back of my neck as he rubbed his hands across the slick skin of my stomach.

I felt his hardness against my buttocks and couldn't help but rotate my hips to tease him a little bit more. "Just what do you plan to do about it?" I asked as I looked at him over my shoulder.

Before I could realize what was happening, Eward had me bent over grasping the edge of the bench that sat at the back of the shower, and was slamming himself balls deep inside me. At least we didn't have to take a shower to clean up, since we got dirty while in the shower. Once we were dried off, I tugged on one of Edward's t-shirts while he tugged on a pair of underwear and we crawled into bed practically passing out as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

"How's your drawing coming, sweet girl?" I asked Molly as I stepped out onto the patio where she had been for the past hour working in her art pad.

She smiled up at me. "Good. I talked to everybody and they said I should use the family drawing for my audition." She told me with a huge smile. "I finished it last night before bed but now I'm working on a few others."

"That's great, Molly, I just want you to enjoy our time here and not stress about this audition. Okay?" I told her as I leaned against the railing.

"I am but I have to say I'm ready to get to Tennessee so we can just chill out and enjoy summer vacation." She told me honestly.

I couldn't help but laugh at her because she wasn't the only one feeling that way but we only had two more days in Florida before our flight to Tennessee. Edward had sent his car back to Tennessee with his family when they headed home and mine wasn't big enough for the six of us so we had flown to Florida and will fly to Tennessee too. We had talked about renting a large SUV once we landed in Tennessee to accommodate all of us which would be extremely helpful. "Just a few more days then we can all just chill out and relax at Edward's house. Rose and Esme are fixing up the spare bedrooms for you girls so that you will be comfortable once we get there."

"That's nice of them. Are we going to live with Edward once summer is over?" She asked curiously as she rested her art pad against her chest.

Shrugging my shoulders I sat in the lounge chair beside her. "I don't know, first we are going to see how the summer goes. We may get a house of our own if you girls are uncomfortable at Edward's house."

"I think we'll all be fine. Are we going to have to share rooms?" She asked softly.

With a smile I shook my head. "No ma'am. You will have all have your very own bedrooms according to Edward and his mom."

"That's good. I've got to finish this before the sun goes completely down, Mom." She told me gesturing to the sun setting behind me.

Chuckling at her, I made my way back inside where Edward was fixing dinner. Spaghetti, which according to him was the only edible thing he knew how to fix. "How's things going in here?" I asked him as I wrapped my arms around his bare waist. He was wearing his pajama bottoms and nothing else which was perfectly fine by me because he was one helluva good looking man.

"It's almost done. I just put the garlic bread in the oven to cook so as soon as that is done dinner will be ready." He told me as he flicked the stove off before turning around to pull me into his arms with a kiss to my lips.

"Molly said she's ready to leave so we can just chill out and enjoy summer vacation." I told him as I laid my head on his chest.

Edward nodded against the top of my head. "I don't think she's the only one." He said with a point into the living room where all three little kids were stretched out on the furniture watching Shrek on the large TV.

"She's not. Just two more days and then your beautiful house will be destroyed." I teased.

"I can't wait. My mom texted earlier and said that she was almost finished with all the girls' rooms." He told me as he rocked us gently side to side.

Leaning back in his arms I looked at him curiously. "If I remember correctly, you told me that your house was only a four bedroom so how are the girls all getting their own rooms?"

"My mom is turning my music room into Molly's room and putting my piano somewhere else since I rarely play it anymore." He explained against the top of my had just as the oven timer went off.

"You shouldn't have to lose your music room, Edward. Mia and Maci could have shared a room." I told him as he pulled the pan of garlic bread from the oven while I grabbed the plates so I could start fixing the kids plates.

He sat the hot pan on the stove before tossing the oven mitt onto the counter. "It's no big deal, baby, I promise. She swears she found a perfect place for it so that it looks like it was intended to be there. She's magnificent at her job so just trust me when I say she'll work it all out."

"Okay."

After five exhausting days in Florida we hailed two taxis to take us to the airport where we boarded a plane for an hour and a half flight into Knoxville where we flagged down two taxis to take us to Edward's house. "I'll see you there." I told Edward as he helped me into the back seat of one taxi with Maci and Mia while Molly and Noah were riding in the other with him.

"I can't wait for you to be in my house." He told me as he leaned down placing a gentle kiss to my lips.

Thirty minutes later the taxi I was in pulled alongside the curb behind Edward's taxi. "Thank you." I told the elderly man as I paid him for the ride.

"My pleasure, young lady." He told me with a kind smile.

I climbed from the car and began pulling Maci's car seat out with her in it since she had fallen asleep on the ride from the airport. I sat her seat on the grass so I could pull our luggage from the trunk. "Stay on the grass, Mia." I told my little girl who was looking around in awe at our surroundings.

She nodded as she began walking cautiously around the front yard.

I simply piled our suitcases and bags on the grass before shutting the trunk of the taxi and tapping on it to indicate that I had everything out. With a wave the old man pulled off from the curb heading down the road. "I could've sworn we sent most of our belonging in your car with Emmett and Rosalie." I told Edward as his bags joined mine.

"Yeah, I thought so too." He said as he grabbed Noah's car seat that held a slightly snoring sweet little boy. "Follow me and we'll come back for the luggage." He told me with a nod in the direction of his house.

Grabbing up Maci's seat I followed him as I called out to Molly and Mia. "Come on girls."

Once Edward and I had Noah and Maci settled on the living room couch he took me, Molly, and Mia on a tour to show them their new bedrooms. "This is your room Molly." Edward told her as he stopped in front of a door that had her name painted on it. "I hope you like it." He told her as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

Molly walked in and gasped as she took in the feature wall of the room. It was a wall of pictures. As I walked closer I couldn't help but gasp like Molly did because it was of pictures of our entire family. Even Jake, Nessa, Charlie, and Sue. "Where did these pictures come from?" I asked Edward as I took them all in. Some of them were from when Molly was a baby that I hadn't seen in years.

"I don't know but she is a resourceful woman. You'll have to ask her when she brings my car home in a few hours." Edward explained from the doorway.

As I turned to walk back to the door I took in the rest of the room. It had a full size bed that was covered in a beautiful gray, white, and yellow comforter that matched the rest of the room. The wall were painted a soft gray while the walls were adorned with bright yellow curtains. There was a massive desk sat against one wall while a fuzzy white rug covered most of the floor and two beanbag chairs sat in one corner of the room. 'You like?" I asked Molly as she sat on the foot of her new bed.

She nodded as she looked at me with tears in her eyes. "Yes. It's amazing and the pictures are just…" She trailed off as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"I know, sweetheart. If you don't want them up there just take them down and we'll find you a box to put them in. Esme had great intentions with them." I explained as I made my way to her and Edward left the room without a word, taking Mia with him. I heard them talking in the hall but gave Molly my full attention. "Do you want to take them down?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

With a shake of her head she settled against my chest. We were quiet as we looked at the pictures for the next several minutes. "Are you going to tell Dad and Mom that we are moving to Tennessee?" She asked out of the blue.

"Nothing is set in stone yet, Molly. We have until the end of the summer to make a decision and it will be a family decision not just mine." I reminded her softly.

She shook her head as she pulled away from me. "It makes more sense that we move here. That school is here, Edward and Noah are here, Esme and Carlisle and Rose and Emmett and Sophie are close by. Mayb we can talk Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper to move up here with JJ. Then everything will be perfect." She told me as she stood up from the bed walking to the desk to poke and prod at the items stacked there. "I think we could all be happy here."

"I think so too but like I said we will make a final decision at the end of summer, after your audition." I told her as I placed a kiss to the side of her head as I headed out of her room. "But it won't hurt for you to plant the seed of relocating to Tennessee in your Aunt Alice's head." She nodded with a smile as she pulled out her phone.

Making my way down the hall I found Edward and Mia having a tea party at a little table that sat in the corner of her bedroom. I had to put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing at how ridiculous Edward looked with a sparkly purple boa wrapped around his neck, huge fake bracelets on his wrists, and an equally large floppy hat on top of his head. "What are you guys up to in here?" I asked as I leaned in the doorway taking in her bedroom.

There was a twin size old fashioned iron bed that sat against a pale pink wall with a white filmy canopy draped around the headboard. The other walls were an off-white and the room had an overall feel of old elegant English, complete with a small round table that held a tea set. There were numerous stuffed animals sitting in one corner and a beautiful dollhouse in another. It was a beautiful room for a beautiful little girl. "Tea party." Mia said with a nod of her head.

"Sounds like fun, you make sure that you teach Edward how to hold his pinky, okay? I'm gonna go get our stuff out of the yard." I told them with a smile as I disappeared down the hall. I peeked in the bedroom next to Mia's and found Maci's new nursery. The women in Edward's life had truly outdone themselves making my girls feel at home here. Maci's room was just as done up as Mia and Molly's. The walls were a white and gray chevron pattern with huge pink and red flowers painted in a random pattern around the room. The flowers and colors tied into the bedding and the rug on the floor. The bedding was dark gray with similar flowers on it, the ruffle at the bottom of the baby bed was stripes in all the colors in the room. Yet again, it was a beautiful room for a beautiful little girl.

I decided to wait on checking out the master suite until Edward could truly show me the room so I headed back for the living room where I checked on the kids before heading outside to tug all of our luggage inside.

The last thing I expected to encounter once I opened the front door was a fuming blonde and my clothes tossed all over the front yard. "Who the hell are you!?" The angry blonde that I had only seen on camera footage screeched at me.


	18. Chapter 18

_**We're getting really close to the end here folks...this and another chapter then an epilogue is all that's left.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 18 (Edward)**

 **Hello crazy!**

"What are you doing here?" I practically growled at Tanya as I shut the door behind me to keep the kids from hearing any more of this confrontation. I had been learning the fine art of 'pinky holding' with Mia when I had heard Bella call for me in a panicked voice. With speed I didn't know I possessed I bolted from Mia's room, asked Molly to watch over the kids, turned the TV on to drown some of the commotion from outside out, and walked out my front door where I saw Tanya and Bella in a standoff while Bella's luggage was tossed all over the yard.

Tanya folded her arms over her chest as she began tapping her foot. "My son is in that house, Edward, and you bring some floozy and let her in there with MY son." She said angrily.

"You don't have a son according to the great state of Tennessee. YOU SIGNED YOUR RIGHTS AWAY WHEN HE WAS JUST HOURS OLD!" I seethed as I stepped closer to her until Bella placed a hand in the middle of my chest and shook her head. I would never hit a woman, especially one that gave me the greatest gift in the world, but this woman had pushed me past my limit.

"She's not worth it, Edward. Think of the kids inside. Noah is innocent to this life and my girls have seen enough of it." She told me softly with a nod in the direction of the house.

What happened next shocked the living shit out of me and all I could do was stare with my mouth gaping open like an idiot. Tanya leapt at Bella, aiming for her long ponytail but Bella must have saw her coming and stuck her elbow up catching Tanya right in the chin before kicking her right behind the knee effectively taking her to the ground. "Don't touch me." Bella snarled in her face before standing up straight and turning to face me. "Close your mouth, babe, and call the cops. I'm going to check on our kids." She said before disappearing inside the house.

I simply shook my head in amazement as I pulled my phone from my pocket dialing 911. As I was on the phone with the dispatch operator I caught Tanya trying to get up but with a tap on the top of her head I shook my head 'no' causing her to sigh before sitting back down. After I was told that the cops were on their way I grabbed Tanya by her elbow and led her to the bench that sat on my front porch. "Have a seat and explain your actions before the cops get here to take you to jail." I told her as I leaned against a post in front of her.

She crossed her legs and looked up at me sadly. "I don't know what I was thinking, Edward. I just saw all that luggage that I knew wasn't yours and lost it. Why are you letting her around him but you won't let me even see him?"

"Because I trust her, Tanya. She is what a mother is supposed to be. You need to get help to deal with your regret and understand why you are doing what you are doing. Don't do it for me or for him. Do it for yourself. Please." I begged her as I spotted the blue lights flash off my house.

"Okay. Can I at least get a picture of our son to help keep me motivated? I have nobody anymore, Edward. Josh left me, my parents are dead, and I've pushed you and our son away. All I'm asking for is a picture to help me get through all the jail, rehab and treatments I'm headed for. Please." She asked me in a resigned voice as several cops climbed from their cars heading towards where we were seated.

With a heavy sigh I nodded and reached for my wallet pulling out a picture from Noah's birthday pictures. He was smiling at the camera with two fistfuls of cake held above his head and the destroyed smash cake in front of him. "Here. Just remember that he IS a happy healthy little boy." I told her as I handed her the picture before stepping back to speak with the cops.

Twenty minutes later Tanya was handcuffed and sat in the back of a cop car with her head hung down in shame while I shook hands with the cop in charge. "Will you please let the judge know that I would rather her get rehab help or psychiatric help instead of jail?" I asked him cautiously.

"I'll pass the word along but can't guarantee anything." He told me before turning back towards his car.

Once the cops left I went back inside to find Bella standing at the French doors that led to the backyard watching the kids play. "Hey." I whispered as I stepped up behind her.

"Hey you. Everything okay?" She asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah, just your delicates decorating my bushes is very distracting." I teased as I wrapped my arms around her waist pulling her back against my chest.

She laughed before pushing me away. "Now that she-devil is gone I can go collect my delicates from your lawn before your neighbors get the wrong idea."

With the kids occupied in the backyard that had been a housewarming gift from my brother I followed Bella out the front door where I helped her pick up all of her clothes and bring everything inside.

"Want some lunch?" Bella asked as she stuck her head through the doorway that separated my office from the rest of the house. Looking up from the old fashioned spreadsheets I had been filling in on my desk, I smiled at her. She looked so perfect standing in my doorway in a pair of shorts and bikini top with her long hair piled on top of her head in a sloppy bun because she and the kids had been outside playing all morning.

With a crooked finger I beckoned her to me as I pushed my chair back from my desk. "I want something else first before food." I told her softly as she got within reaching distance of my hands where I snatched her playfully into my lap causing her to giggle playfully. I smothered her giggles with my lips.

After a few playful kisses I allowed her to pull me from my office and into the kitchen where I took a seat at the table with four very tired children. "Did you guys have fun playing outside?" I asked them as Bella slid a sandwich and some chips in front of me along with a glass of water before taking a seat next to me.

All four kids nodded but didn't stop shoving the food into their mouths. Noah and Maci were seated at the table in 'grown-up' high chairs as Bella had called them when she came home with them last week. They really were just booster seats that strapped to the dining room chairs but she had made a big deal out of them so Noah and Maci would want to sit in them. She really was an amazing woman and I had a special date planned for tonight for just us. In the two and a half weeks that she and the girls had been living here we hadn't had a single date where we didn't have kids with us but Rose should be showing up in a few hours to 'kidnap' the kids for the night. When I had voiced my concern about Mia and Maci being away from Bella for an entire night, she had told me to not worry that she was bringing in reinforcements before hanging up the phone. "Sweepy, Dada." Noah said from the other side of the table as he sat down his empty sip cup.

Tossing the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth I stood up to take care of my boy. As I was unbuckling him Maci looked at me with 'that' look and stuck her bottom lip out. "Me too, E?" She asked softly.

Nodding I unbuckled her before scooping them both up in my arms and heading down the hall to their bedrooms. "Come on you munchkins, it's nap time." I told them as I jiggled them playfully as I carried them into Maci's room first. "Princess munchkin first." I told Maci as I lifted her into her crib.

She giggled as she rolled over and blew me a kiss. "Wub you, E." She said softly as she snuggled into her blanket.

"Love you too, princess." I told her as I rubbed a hand over her curls.

Shifting Noah onto my hip I carried him to his own bedroom. "Wub me too, Dada?" He asked sleepily as he rested his head on my shoulder.

Pulling him to my chest I cradled his body close. "Of course I love you buddy. You know, Daddy's can love more than one person, right?" I asked him as I walked into his room and sat in the chair that I had had since he was born.

He nodded against my chest. "Mama wub me?" He asked as he pulled back to look at me with sleepy eyes.

"I'm sure she does, buddy. You know, you've got a lot of people in your life that loves you. Nana, Papa, Auntie Rose, Uncle Em, Sophie, Bella and the girls, just to name a few." I told him as I cupped his cheeks.

"Maci mama my mama?" He asked pointing a finger at himself.

I didn't know what to say to him so I just placed a kiss on his cheek before standing up and laying him in his crib. "Have a good nap, buddy. Daddy loves you so very much."

He didn't respond as he simply curled up and closed his eyes. When I walked out of his room I found Bella sitting on the floor against the wall with tears streaming down her cheeks and the baby monitor in her lap. "Baby what's wrong?" I asked her as I squatted down in front of her.

"Noah wants me to be his momma." She blubbered as she launched herself at me.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist as I lifted us from the floor and eased us into our bedroom where I shut the door quietly behind us. "Why does my sweet boy wanting you to be his momma have you so upset?" I asked as I eased us down onto the bed so that we were lying on our sides facing each other.

"They're happy tears, I promise. It just took me by surprise." She whispered as she snuggled into my chest. "I never imagined this to be my life at 30 years old."

I pushed her over to lay down on the bed as I reached for my bedside drawer for a special box I had gotten from my mom a few days ago. Pulling the small wooden box from the drawer I handed it to Bella with a smile on my face. "You know, I never dreamed my life would turn out this way either but I wouldn't have it any other way. Every obstacle, and trying time in my life has led me to you and those amazing girls that are sleeping down the hall. When I built this house I built it with the intentions of filling it with a family one day and now it is full to capacity with the perfect family for me." I told her as I flipped the top on the small box she held in her hands. "This ring was my great-grandmother Cullen's engagement ring and I would be honored if you would wear it next. Will you marry me, Isabella?"

She pulled the ring out of the box and handed it to me with a smile. "Yes." She whispered as tears pooled in her eyes.

Taking the ring from her I slid it onto her left ring finger where it fit perfectly. Sealing it with a kiss to her finger I pulled her to my chest. "Is it weird that we're engaged before we've even said I love you?" Bella asked after a few minutes of peaceful silence.

Chuckling I rolled her over until I was hovering over her. "I thought that was a given, silly. I think I've loved you for a while now. I'm sorry I never thought to voice it but I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too, you silly man."

I laid with her for a few more minutes before heading back to my office to finish working until Rose showed up.

When I heard the doorbell sound off a few minutes before four o'clock I didn't get up because Bella called out that she would get it. Her squeal of "Ali!" caused me to jump from my chair and boot scoot it into the living room. I walked into Bella being wrapped up in a huge group hug by Jasper and Alice while Rose held baby JJ.

"E! E!" Sophie squealed and sprinted towards me as fast as her little legs would take her.

"Hi precious." I told her as I scooped her up placing kisses all over her cheeks and neck causing her to curl around my head as Rose ushered the reunited group of friends into the house so she could shut the door on the summer heat.

We all settled into the living room while the little kids headed for the playroom and Molly kidnapped JJ to her room. "What are you guys doing here?" Bella asked as she settled next to me on the couch.

"Scoping out houses and bringing you all your stuff you left in storage." Alice said with a giggle.

Bella sat up straight and turned to face her best friend. "Excuse me?" She asked as she pushed her hair out of her face which had the other women gasping and me groaning because I knew they had just saw Bella's new piece of jewelry. She shook her head. "Don't think about changing the subject. While I am grateful you brought us our stuff please explain why you are scoping out properties in Tennessee and then I will explain my beautiful ring." Bella said with a firm nod of her head.

It seems that in the weeks that Bella and the girls have been gone from Louisiana Alice came to the conclusion that she needed to be close to her sister and nieces so she convinced Jasper that they needed to move to Tennessee to support Bella and the girls in this next phase of their lives. Because that is what family does. When Bella stuck her hand out for Alice to inspect her engagement ring, Alice began rapid firing wedding questions at Bella until Bella pulled her hand back and snuggled back into my side which caused Alice to huff and settle back against Edward.

"Nothing had been discussed or decided yet, Ali. We have only been engaged for a few hours, let us revel in it for a bit before you tug me down the wedding planning lane. Please." Bella begged her softly as Noah ran up to her holding his little arms up for her. Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled him into her lap with a kiss to his cheek.

Alice nodded as she laid her hands on her stomach. "Okay, but all I ask is don't pick a date that will make me look like a whale, which will be happening fairly soon." She said as she pulled her flowy dress tight against her stomach.

"Emmett and I are heading out of state in early December for a few days because our next child is due to be born on December 5th so please keep that in mind when picking dates." Rose said with a smile and nod in my direction.

Noah looked up at Bella with his big blue eyes. "Mama, I thirsty."

While Bella carried our boy into the kitchen for something to drink Rose leaned forward onto her elbows. "Big day for you today, huh bro?"

I couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, but it's really been a perfect day at home with my family." I told her causing her and Alice to aww while Jasper just winked at me over Alice's head. "Now, what are you plans with our children tonight?" I asked her softly.

"We're going to have a slumber party, Edward. With lots of sweets and cheesy old girly movies and manicures and pedicures. Jasper and Emmett are going to keep Noah and JJ occupied while us girls have some good old fashioned fun." She told me with a laugh as she raised an eyebrow at me daring me to argue with her.

I held my hands up in surrender as I leaned back on the couch. "Just don't make them sick with too much junk food. Please."

She just rolled her eyes at me before hopping up off the couch. "I make no promises."

An hour later Bella and I were blissfully alone for the first time in several weeks. "Did you plan all of this?" She asked as she stepped out of the shower stall as I stood at the sink shaving my days growth off my face.

Sheepishly I nodded. "I did thought I didn't know Alice and Jasper were going to be her reinforcements. I thought we deserved a night out without the kids. We both love them endlessly but we deserve some alone time too."

She nodded as she began towel drying her hair beside me. "I agree and I fully expect to be ravished multiple times tonight too."

Laughing I rinsed the extra shaving cream off my face. "I think I can handle that."


	19. Chapter 19

**Last original chapter...**

* * *

 **Chapter 19 (Bella)**

 **Settling in…**

I'm not sure who was more nervous about Molly's audition. Me or her but at least I had support beside me while she was behind that stage by herself. Our entire mishmash family came to support my girl. Edward, Mia, Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose. We had dropped all of the kids, except Mia, off at daycare, which Noah hadn't attended in months, while we attended the audition. In the month and a half we had been in Tennessee so much had changed. Alice and Jasper, along with their businesses, now officially resided in Knoxville. Alice was glowing in her second pregnancy, she hadn't had any morning sickness which made her think she was pregnant with a little girl. The beautiful ring on my finger constantly brought a smile to my face. My girls had absolutely flourished under the love and attention from the amazing Cullen family and I knew deep in my heart that we had finally found our spot in life. I was never more thankful that I had decided to relocate us to Tennessee than when I had gotten the phone call from the fire Marshall telling me that they had arrested Victoria, James's wife, for the destruction of my house. Apparently, she had been suffering from a severe case of postpartum depression and thought I was taking her husband's attention away from her and their new baby.

"You okay?" Edward asked quietly as we watched another art student audition his art work.

I smiled over at him and nodded. "Yeah, just nervous for her."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead before squeezing my hand in reassurance. "She's going to be fine. My mom said she would speak to the principal on Molly's behalf of it became necessary." He told me with a chuckle.

I gasped and looked down the row at Esme who winked at me before turning her attention back to the stage.

"Next student!" I heard the announcer call out and turned my attention back to the stage where I watched Molly walk out with her hands clasped tightly behind her back. "We have your portfolio but please present your showcase piece." One of the judges told my nervous girl as she stood next to the easel a stage hand had set up as Molly walked onto the stage. Molly had glued her family portrait to a canvas that she had painted a beautiful border on to basically showcase the beautiful drawing she had worked tirelessly on. As she pulled the sheet off the canvas I couldn't help but smile at the pride that swelled in my chest at my girls talent. "What's it called?" Another judge asked.

"Everything after Nothing" Molly said firmly as she stood next to her piece of art.

"What's the story behind the sketch and title?" One of the younger judges asked her softly.

Molly took a deep breath before divulging her life story. "My birth parents started out as teen parents who turned out to be drug addicts that cared more about their next score than their three daughters. My Mom took us in last year without thinking about it and showed me and my little sisters what a true mother is about. It was then that we all began to understand the true meaning of what being part of a family means. I'm just hopeful that my two little sisters don't remember as much as I do since they were so young when our lives changed for the better. The people in this sketch may not be my family by blood but they are my family in every sense of the word. To me, being blood related means nothing while being accepted and loved unconditionally means everything. This is my everything after leaving nothing behind." She ended with a catch in her voice.

I swiped at my cheeks before looking around me and noticing several people wiping at their eyes. "I love that little girl." Edward whispered to my ear as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and placed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Me too."

"Most people have problems with getting features accurate without some training. Are the people in this portrait present her today so we can check for accuracy?" The older man asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

Molly nodded. "Most of them are. The little kids are in daycare and my Aunt Angela and Uncle Ben are still in Louisiana with my little cousin Liam." She explained in a clear voice.

With a nod we all watched as the older gentleman stood up and turned to face the parents and family in attendance. "May we please have the family of Miss Swan join her on stage?"

Emmett was the first to jump up and urge the rest of us up out of our seats. "Come on, Mia girl, your sister needs us on stage!" Emmett told my shy little girl as he hefted her onto his shoulders causing her to giggle loudly before slapping a hand over her mouth and looking at me with wide eyes.

"It's okay, Mia Grace." I reassured her as we all filed into the aisle and joined my nervous child on stage. She had never been critiqued this hard about her art work but if she came to school here she would have to get used to it because she would be taking it from a hobby to so much more. "You are doing amazing, sweet girl." I whispered to Molly as I stepped up beside her and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

We all stood on that stage surrounding Molly as the three judges got up and looked closer at Molly's showcase piece as they glanced between all of us and the sketched work. The older gentleman came to a stop in front of me where I stood next to Molly. "Miss Swan?"

"Yes sir." I told him as I extended my hand towards him.

He gripped my hand in both of his. "I, personally, would like to extend my congratulations on your daughter's acceptance to CCA."

"She's in?" I asked, stunned.

The man nodded. "Absolutely. I haven't seen talent like this in an untrained artist her age in my entire career. I can't wait to work with her. I will be one of her teachers and her mentor when school starts in two weeks."

"Thank you so much." I told him as I shook his hand one more time before releasing it and turning to face my family. "She's in!" I told them and our entire bunch wrapped themselves around me and Molly while the rest of the audience applauded at my outburst.

"Are you sure this is what you want to wear?" I asked Mia yet again as I looked at the bright green leggings and black shirt with a giant flower in the middle that was hanging on her closet door with a pair of sparkly black ballet flats sitting on the floor beneath the bright outfit.

"Yes Mama. Aunt Ali helped me pick it." She told me as she climbed into her bed. "You don't like it?" She asked me softly as I walked over to tuck her in. Tomorrow was her first day of school in a new school so I was nervous for her. She had come out of her shell so much this summer and I hated to see her go back in it because of her nerves.

I shrugged as I climbed into bed beside her. "It doesn't matter what I like or not, as long as you like it." I reassured her as I placed a kiss to the top of her fresh smelling hair. "Are you nervous about school tomorrow? Because Molly won't be going to school with you this year."

She shook her head as she snuggled into my side. "I know but I'm a big girl now and Uncle Emmett said he would whoop anybody who dared to pick on me and to never forget that."

The giggle just burst out of me because she had absolutely gotten attached to the big oaf this summer and they were hilarious to watch when they got together. "He's always a good weapon to have." I told her with a chuckle.

"Yeah." She said softly as she gave a big yawn. "Mama?" She asked a few minutes later. I thought she had drifted off to sleep as I reveled in the quiet of our house settling in for the night.

"What baby?" I asked as I brushed her hair back off her face as I tipped her back so I could look at her sweet young face.

"Since Noah calls you Mama, can I call E Daddy? Will my other Daddy get mad?" She asked in a much too serious and confused voice for my precious six year old.

Cupping the side of her face in my hand I smiled at her gently. "Jake will always be your biological father but he also wants nothing more than for you to be the happiest you can be. If calling Edward 'Daddy' makes you happy then your other daddy won't care in the least little bit or get mad at you. We could always write Jake a letter explaining things to him if that will make you feel better." I suggested softly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I miss him sometimes and my other mommy too."

I pulled her onto my chest as I lay down in her bed. "I'm sure you do, sweet girl, and that's perfectly okay, Mia. They loved you the only way they knew how, but they were sick, and you know that. Jake is the one who pushed to have this put in." I explained tapping behind her ear where her cochlear implant rested. "He wanted his sweet little baby to be able to hear his voice and always remember him. He fought for you because he loved you so much. Don't ever forget that, Mia Grace."

She nodded but didn't say anything else. After a few minutes of me humming some unknown tune I felt her solid weight rest down on me as she succumbed to her sleep. I rolled her over onto her bed as I slid from it before pulling her blankets up around her. As I stepped into our bedroom I couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted me. Edward was sprawled on his back with Maci curled into him on one side while Noah mimicked her position on the other side of him. All three were sound asleep. I quickly grabbed my phone off the dresser snapping a picture of the three of them before I walked over to Noah scooping him up into my arms so I could go put him into his bed.

Once I had Noah and Maci settled in for the night I double checked the alarm before joining my sexy yet exhausted fiancée in our bed. Edward automatically rolled over and pulled me to his chest as I scooted back against him and I couldn't help but smile as I closed my eyes and let sleep take me under.

The expression on Edward's face when I told him about my conversation with Mia was priceless, even more so the first time she actually called him 'Daddy'. Writing to Jake about Mia's confusion and indecisiveness was tough but his response made me smile and I saw a glimpse of the brother I used to know. _Mia Grace, I will ALWAYS have the privilege of being your father but Edward seems like an amazing Daddy. I promise you, baby girl, that I will not be upset in any way. I always wanted the best for you girls and it seems you have found that with Bella and Edward._

I had damn near been inconsolable when I first read that letter but I managed to keep it together when I read it for Mia. Barely. It took about a week after Jake's letter came in that Mia finally caught us all off-guard by running to Edward from the school bus screaming "Daddy!".

"Hi, princess." Edward told her as he scooped her up in his arms tickling her to get her giggling and laughing. "Did you have a good day at school?" I heard him ask her as he carried her to the new Ford Expedition we had bought so that we could all fit into one vehicle. We had 10 minutes before we had to be at Molly's bus stop to pick her up before hightailing it home to get dinner, homework, and baths done before bedtime at 8:30.

"Yeah but Danny keeps asking me to be his girlfriend." She said with a wrinkle of her nose. It has been absolutely amazing to watch my normally shy and reserved child to come almost completely out of her shell to the point where she would talk openly without really being prompted to do so.

Edward smacked a kiss to her cheek. "And what did you tell Danny today?" This had been going on for the past week and every day she had nearly the same response when he asked her this.

Mia wrapped her arms around Edward's neck and smiled against his cheek. "That my Daddy says I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend until I'm 30."

I had to cover my face to hide my smile and giggles as Edward smacked her cheek with a kiss. "That's my girl. Love you."

"Love you too, Daddy. What's for supper?"

Taking a deep breath I stepped into the office where my 'interview' was being held. With the girls settled into school and the little ones splitting their days between daycare and our family I found myself wanting to get back to work so I had called my old boss back in New Orleans and got the ball rolling with the clinic here in Knoxville. Smiling at the middle aged woman with shoulder length silver hair that sat on the other side of the desk I handed her my official resume. "Thank you for taking time to see me today." I told her softly.

"You come highly recommended, Isabella. Gregory speaks highly of you and your abilities." She said with a soft smile as she laid my resume down without ever even glancing at it and motioned for me to take a seat.

Smiling at her I shook my head. "I just love what I do and I think that transfers into how well I do my job. I'm surprised Gregory didn't tell you that I prefer Bella over Isabella." I told her gently.

She leaned back in her chair with a laugh. "He did but told me to call you Isabella and I would see some of what you are capable of. I think you will be an amazing fit for the team I have working here if you will accept the job."

It was really that simple. Ten minutes later I walked out with my hire packet that I was to fill out at home and bring back the following Monday when I was to report for my shift at 7:30. "How did it go?" Edward asked in lieu of the typical 'hello' greeting when I called his phone as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Amazing. I got the job and I start next Monday." I told him and smiled because he had been rooting for me on one hand and praying I wouldn't take the job on the other because he wouldn't have me at his disposal during the day anymore.

"That's great, baby. Are you coming home now so we can celebrate?" He asked huskily.

With a laugh I had to burst his bubble. "I'm going to run by the store and pick up some groceries and then I'll be home."

"But..."

"No buts, Edward Anthony. Our children need snacks for their lunches tomorrow and I need some spaghetti noodles for dinner tonight. You'll survive a little longer without me plus your mom should be there soon to take you out for lunch to discuss what you are going to wear for our wedding ceremony." I told him with a smile because neither one of us was huge fans of planning the details of our wedding much to the chagrin of our wedding 'planners', Alice and Esme.

"Great." He muttered. "I love you, Bella."

"Love you too, honey. See you later." I told him as I hung up the phone, grateful that I had grocery shopping plans that allowed me to avoid this wedding planning session. I had given Alice and Esme the colors I wanted the wedding to be (turquoise and white), the date (March 4th, 2013), how many bridesmaids and groomsmen and who (Rose, Alice, Angela, Jasper, Emmett, and Ben), and who we wanted invited (a total of 56 people) before turning the reigns over to them while we enjoyed being engaged.

Before going to buy the few groceries we needed I stopped by the lawyer's office to pick up the papers that were to be Edward's Christmas presents in a few weeks. The folder I walked out with contained three sets of adoption papers, one set for each of my girls. Sticking the thick folder in my bag I headed into the grocery store. It took longer than I thought in the grocery store so I texted Edward to let him know I would pick the little ones up from daycare and get the girls off their school buses before coming home.

Chants of "Mama! Mama! Mama!" met my ears as I stepped through the doors of the daycare Edward had been using occasionally since Noah was born. Kneeling down to their level I was nearly knocked off balance as Noah and Maci's bodies collided with mine.

"Hi you two. Did you have fun today?" I asked them as Tori brought me their combined bag.

The kids chattered endlessly as I took the bag from Tori with a smile. "Really? Did you tell Miss Tori thank you for helping you wash the paint off your hands?" I asked them as I stood up to my full height.

They nodded with huge smiles on their faces. "Good job then. Tell Miss Tori bye!" I told them as I checked the time on my watch, we had to get going soon to meet Molly's bus on time.

"Bye!" They both called out as they tugged my hands towards the front door.

We pulled up alongside the curb just as Molly's bus was rounding the block ahead of us. "I thought Dad was picking us up today?" was the first thing out of Molly's mouth as she climbed into the passenger seat. That was when I knew that the papers in my bag were the right thing for our family.


	20. Epilogue

**Chapter 20 (Epilogue)**

Christmas 2012

"Merry Christmas, Edward." I told my fiancée handing him the manila envelops from my night table as I sat astride his hips during the early morning hours of Christmas morning.

He ran his hands up my bare thighs onto my hips. "I thought we agreed on no gifts except exceptional lovemaking."

I simply shrugged my shoulders. "I would say I'm sorry but I'm really not." I told him cheekily as I handed him the envelope.

He scooted backwards on the bed until he sat propped against the headboard with me still sitting astride his hips. His eyes watered as he pulled the papers from the envelope. "Are you serious?" He whispered as he quickly flipped through the papers before putting them back into the envelope and laying them on his nightstand.

Nodding I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him close to me. "Yes, and my girls are excited about you being their father legally too."

"That's fantastic because I think Noah will be ecstatic too when you officially become his mother. Which will happen as soon as you sign the papers that are under the Christmas tree." He told me with a smirk on his face.

"Are you serious?" I asked as I looked at him in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yes, I had the papers drawn up last week for an official adoption."

I pulled him even closer as I showed him how amazing he was and he spent the next two hours showing me how much the gift had meant to him before our kids began banging on our bedroom door saying Santa had visited and we needed to get a move on.

Valentine's Day 2013

Pacing the length of mine and Edward's bedroom did little to help calm my nerves down as the timer on my cell phone ticked away the three minute wait time too slowly for my liking. "Bella, you are going to burn a path through the carpet if you do not stop pacing. It's going to be okay." Alice commented as she sat in the chair in the corner of our bathroom nursing baby Lola while Rose played in the floor with Lola's twin brother, Levi, and her daughter, Juniper.

"I agree with Alice, Bella. Pacing is not going to make the time go by any faster." Rose commented as she popped Levi's pacifier back into his mouth.

With a heavy sigh I sat on the end of mine and Edward's bed. "I just can't believe this is happening right now. We were so careful." I muttered more to myself than the women who were supposed to be here to support me.

"Did you get your shot at the beginning of the year?" Alice asked with a smirk on her face because Edward had taken me away for two weeks without the kids right after Christmas which meant I was six days late getting my birth control shot.

My wide eyes had her cackling and shaking her head. "Why do you think I showed up here today with those four tests?" She said tapping the side of her head. "Congrats by the way. You can go look now, your timer is on 25 seconds." She said with a huge smile on her face.

I didn't even have to look at the tests to know that there was going to be four positive signs glaring at me from my bathroom vanity. "Boy or girl, Alice?" I asked as I walked in the bathroom just for shits and giggles.

"Boys." She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I hit the floor with a loud thud as my world went black. Feeling something cool and wet across my forehead brought me out of my darkness with a groan. "Baby, are you okay?" Edward asked as he wiped the cool cloth down my neck and chest.

"I'm pregnant with twin boys according to the psychic in the room and the tests in the bathroom." I deadpanned as I opened my eyes to watch his reaction.

The smile on his face set everything in my universe back in its safe place.

March 2013

Hovering over the toilet the day of my wedding is not how I pictured the day going at all but the little people that rested in my ever expanding abdomen were ruling this day. "Come on guys, Mama needs a break here." I pleaded with my boys, according to Alice, as I wiped my face with a cool rag. Thank goodness Rose hadn't gotten around to putting my makeup on yet.

A knock on the bathroom door caused me to groan as I stood from the floor. "I'm fine." I told the person on the other side of the door as I rinsed my mouth out.

"Mom just dropped off some more of those chocolate ginger cookies for you." Edward said softly from the other side of the door.

I quickly yanked open the door and grabbed the tin of cookies from his hands popping one in my mouth as I walked into the bedroom. "Jesus, she's a lifesaver." I moaned as I flopped back across the bed, my tank top rising up to reveal my baby bump that had really started to pop out in the last week. Morning sickness had really settled in during the last two weeks and the only thing that allowed me to get through the day was Esme's special chocolate ginger cookies. I kept a container in my desk at work and nibbled on them all day long discreetly because my co-workers didn't yet know about my pregnancy. Keeping it a secret wouldn't be an option anymore when we came back from our honeymoon in two weeks because I'm certain that my bump would be hard to hide in the coming weeks.

Edward ran his hand over the skin that was stretched tight over my stomach. "Can you believe we're getting married today? It almost seems surreal to me." He whispered as he leaned down to rest his head above my baby bump as he stroked his hand all over my lower abdomen.

"It does seem surreal. I think it's because we haven't had to really do anything to get ready for the wedding." I told him my theory as I stroked my fingers through his soft hair that had yet to be tamed with the hair gel he usually used when taming was needed.

"Maybe." He said softly as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss where our children slept and grew before popping a quick one to my lips. "I've gotta go before Alice catches me in here and threatens my balls again." He said with a chuckle.

Four hours later I stood in front of the double doors of the church watching mine and Edward's children walk down the aisle towards their father as he stood with the pastor at the end of the aisle. He knelt down and kissed each of our girls on the cheek and ruffling Noah's hair before sending them to his parents. I couldn't help but chuckle at the scowl on Noah's face as he smoothed his red hair back down. After our closest friends walked down the aisle I took a deep breath and headed down by myself. I hadn't spoken to my father and stepmother since Christmas 2011 and had no inclination to do so.

"Deep breaths, my love." Edward said as he met me halfway down the aisle and took my hand to finish walking me up the aisle.

Our ceremony was sweet, heartfelt, and completely us. Once our vows were said to each other we pulled the kids up with us and vowed in front of everybody to be the best parents to them and their siblings as they came into our lives.

June 2016

As I was walking down the hallway I couldn't help but hear the sobs coming from my oldest daughter's bedroom. When we had officially found out that we were expecting twin boys, Edward and I had decided to add a second story to our home instead of just building a new one which added four new bedrooms as well as three extra bathrooms. We moved all the older kids upstairs once the twins were born so their crying wouldn't disturb them during the night.

Knocking on Molly's bedroom door I pushed it open and walked in to find my beautiful oldest daughter curled up in the middle of her bed sobbing. "Molly? What's wrong sweet girl?" I asked as I joined her on the bed.

She shook her head but sobbed harder. I had a feeling that this had to do with her boyfriend of six months, Jeremy, but who knew with a 16 year old. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's not going to do anybody any good, sweetheart. If you are this upset then maybe you need to talk to someone about it. If not me, then somebody." I told her softly as I stroked her raven locks that trailed all the way down to her waist, where we kept it trimmed to.

She sat up in the middle of her bed and I followed her lead taking her hands in mine for some comfort. "You're going to be so disappointed in me, Mama. I just know it." She mumbled softly.

With a finger under her chin, I lifted her face up so that I could have her full attention. "When you become a mother, you will understand that children will disappoint you, children will fail at things, children will get angry at you for things, but despite everything the love a mother has for her children never falters."

"That may be sooner than we all wanted." She mumbles as tears spill out of her eyes freely.

Taking a deep breath I counted to ten silently before responding to my oldest child. "What do you mean by that? I thought you were waiting to have sex? Considering the experiences you have went through I had hoped that you would be mature enough to come ask me to get you on birth control if you decided to have sex so soon." I rambled, trying to reign in my irritation and disappointment.

She nodded solemnly. "I know, Mama, but I was sick and tired of being made fun of because I was still a virgin after my 16th birthday. My nickname around campus and town is 'Ice Princess' and I was sick of it so Jeremy and I had sex for the first time two weeks ago. But, last night the condom broke and he didn't realize it until it was over with."

"Jesus Christ, Molly. I never dreamed you would make such a life altering decision based on bullying. When is your period due?" I asked nervously.

"Two weeks."

Needless to say, her period didn't come two weeks later and our first grandchild was on its way. Edward and I, both, were disappointed in Molly's irresponsibility but accepted the facts and moved on from it. Molly suffered from anxiety and depression for the first six months of her pregnancy but eventually pulled herself out of her funk and began to accept what was about to happen to her life. When Arianna Lee was placed in Molly's arms, my sweet girl broke down in hiccupping sobs before placing a gentle kiss to the top of Ari's head and handing her off to her new parents. Rose and Emmett.

March 2018

"Happy Anniversary, love." Edward told me as he placed kisses up the curve of my back as I muffled my moans into my pillow to keep from waking our children. "Can we?" He asked softly in my ear as he ground his erection into my butt and thighs. Our youngest child, Olivia Louise, was just a mere five weeks old and I didn't have my doctor's appointment to get the all clear for sex until next week but I was horny.

"You better." I told him as I pressed my butt back against him seeking some form of friction. "Condom though. Libby doesn't need a new sibling quite so soon like Isaac and Maverick got." I told him as I pulled my knees up onto the bed for a better angle of penetration.

It was rare that our bed was empty of children but because it had been the night before our anniversary we had used the lock that was on our bedroom door to keep all of them out. Molly and Mia hated it when we locked our door because the kids then migrated to their bedrooms for some nighttime cuddles. Isaac Edward and Maverick Anthony held a special place in my heart because they were my first biological children and they also shared my birthday. Their little sister, Alexis Noelle, was born exactly 10 months and 9 days after them because Edward and I had gotten carried away too early without protection. Thankfully, a few years passed before I went off birth control which quickly resulted in my pregnancy with Olivia Rosalice.

"Hold on, baby." Edward told me as he lined himself up behind me with one hand while gripping my hip with the other.

We celebrated our fifth year anniversary the best way we knew how, with our kids and close family.

Later that morning as I lay sleeping in Edward's arms a tiny knock sounds on our bedroom door pulling us from our slumber. "Mama?" came the soft voice of my sweet Mia.

"Coming sweetheart." I called out to her as I pulled up and out of my comfortable spot and yanking my robe on that lay across the chair beside the bed. Back to reality.

August 2025

"Come on, you guys!" I called up the stairs of our house trying to urge my children to put some pep into their step so we weren't late to Molly's gallery showing. While she had majored in journalism in college and landed a job with the local newspaper upon graduation, she continued to draw and paint and just be creative in her spare time. Tonight was her night to shine and my kids were determined to make us late.

It sounded like a heard of elephants coming down the stairs when all the kids descended but I couldn't help but smile at each and every one of them as they lined up for inspection at the bottom of the stairs.

I started with Mia who was dressed in a beautiful knee length baby blue chiffon dress that showed off her Native American heritage. Her long curls were pulled to the side where a sparkly clip held them in place over her shoulder. "You look beautiful, Mia." I told her softly as I kissed her gently on the cheek. "Mom approved." I told her with a smile which sent her clicking down the hallway towards the garage where Edward was waiting.

Next up was Noah. The precious sweet boy I had first met all those years ago now towered over me in his six foot three form at 16 years old. I fixed his sky blue tie that matched Mia's dress before smoothing the lapels of his dinner jacket. "You look very handsome, son." I told him as I tugged him down to me so I could kiss his cheek. "Mom approved." He returned the kiss to my cheek before scurrying down the hallway after his sister.

Maci was next and she was wearing a knee length black dress with a light blue sash around her waist. Her hair had darkened over the years almost to an auburn color but her eyes still sparkled in her excitement for the evening. "You are gorgeous, my girl." I told her as I kissed her on the forehead causing her to smile. "Mom approved." I told her with a smile as she scurried down the hall towards her dad.

Then it was time for the younger kids. The blue theme continued with their clothes too. Isaac and Maverick. They were to be twelve years old this year and were looking like handsome young men tonight for this event. Isaac had on a black button-up shirt with a sky blue vest over it while Maverick had on a sky blue shirt with a black vest over it. "I love these opposite looks you guys have going on here. You both are mom approved." I told them with kisses to their cheeks. They scowled at me before scurrying down the hallway after their siblings.

"My precious Lexi." I told my girl who had reddish brown hair with the lightest brown eyes that they almost looked golden and came nearly to my chin at just ten years old. "You look beautiful as well." I told her as I took in her light gray dress that had a blue bow on her left hip. "You are most definitely mom approved." I told her with a tweak and kiss to her nose. She scrunched up her face before skipping down the hall.

Our youngest was the last in line and was getting antsy during my 'approval' process that had started years ago after an incident where Noah ended up wearing ripped jeans and a stained t-shirt to Molly's high school graduation. "There's my baby." I told her as I held out my arms for her. She was wearing a light blue frilly dress that was covered in 'sparklies' from her waist up.

"Am I approved too, Mommy?" she asked softly as I lifted her up in my arms.

"Absolutely, baby." I chuckled as I placed kisses all over her arms. She was a tiny little thing but still had some growing to do as she was only seven years old. "Shall we go, princess?"

She nodded. "Yeah yeah yeah!" She cheered as I headed down the same hallway my other children had went down.

Molly had rented us a stretch limo for tonight so that we could all ride together for a change but I was in for a shocker when I reached in to hand Libby to Edward. Inside sat my oldest daughter and her handsome husband of a little over a year, Tanner; Emmett, Rosalie, and their three daughters, including Molly's daughter she gave to them when she was just 16; Alice, Jasper, and their two kids, JJ and AJ; Angela, Ben, and Liam; and last but not least Esme and Carlisle. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked everybody as I climbed in to take my seat next to Edward.

"Heading to the event with my family." Molly said with a smile. "You always said family was the most important thing in the world and this is my family."

I had to nod in agreement as I took in my large family that I had made for myself and my children over the years.

 **THE END**


End file.
